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Potential of Hairs as a Decisive tool in Forensic Palynological investigations: First experimental study from India

Author Affiliations

  • 1 Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata- 700019, INDIA
  • 2 Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata- 700019, INDIA

Res. J. Forensic Sci., Volume 3, Issue (6), Pages 3-, July,29 (2015)

Abstract

The present study was performed to assess the feasibility of spores, pollen grains and other microscopic entities isolated from human hairs in associating suspects and objects with a particular location in Indian context. 19 hair samples of volunteers of different places of West Bengal viz., Baruipur (with tropical evergreen vegetation), Uttar Kashiabad, Pakhiralaya, Gosaba (with mangrove vegetation) and Ravangla of Sikkim (with high altitude vegetation) were collected. Pollen grains of Aegiceras sp., Kandelia sp., Sonneratia apetala, Acanthus ilicifolius, Justicia sp., Phoenix sp., Clerodendron sp., Avicennia sp., Lathyrus sp., Leucas sp., Commelina sp., Rhizophora sp. were recovered from the hair samples of Pakhiralaya, Gosaba and Uttar Kashiabad of the Indian Sundarbans. The recovered palynotaxa from Baruipur were Cocos nucifera, Borassus flabellifer, Peltophorum sp., Hygrophila sp., Chrozophora sp., Phyla nodiflora, Helianthus annuus, Cleome sp., Cheno-ams, Poaceae and Litchi chinensis. Hair samples from Ravangla have yielded Trifolium sp., Pinus sp., Duabanga sp., Rhododendron sp., Erigeron sp., Alnus nepalensis and Cryptomeria japonica. Correspondence analysis (CA) data helped to ascertain that the recovered palynmorphs from hair samples were from three distinct phytogeographical locations. Thus, through palynological study of human hairs, places of interest can be located and trace evidence can be provided to link people and objects with crime scenes in India.

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