The cribriform approach to the retrieval of palynological evidence from the turbinates of murder victims

Patricia E. J. Wiltshire, Sue Black

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    25 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    As well as being the route for gaseous exchange, the nasal passages protect the lungs from debris and fine particulates inhaled during breathing. Foreign particles are trapped by mucus produced by membranes that line the upper respiratory tract. Even when a corpse has skeletonised, particles can be retrieved from the surface of nasal bones and may provide valuable evidence of events leading up to, and including the death of a murder victim. In this paper, we give a brief anatomical description of the parts of the nasal passages that yield most information, the methods for extraction of the evidence, and brief description of a case where such evidence has proved useful. c2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)224-230
    Number of pages7
    JournalForensic Science International
    Volume163
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Nov 2006

    Keywords

    • Forensic palynology
    • Turbinates
    • Cadaver
    • Membranes
    • Pollen

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