Locard exchange principle
Definition
The forensic principle that contact between two surfaces transfers material in both directions. Plant material, pollen, seeds, and leaf fragments all transfer from environments to people and objects, making botanical evidence a direct expression of this principle.
Related terms
- Dendrochronology
- The science of dating by tree-ring sequences. Each annual ring encodes the growing conditions of that year; matching ring patterns to a...
- Forensic botany
- The application of plant science, including morphology, anatomy, palynology, and molecular biology, to criminal and civil legal proceedings.
- Palynology
- The study of pollen grains and spores. In forensic work it links persons, objects, or remains to specific geographic locations through the...
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- Provenance
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Explained in
- Scope and History of Forensic BotanyThe forensic principle that contact between two surfaces transfers material in both directions. Plant material, pollen, seeds, and leaf fragments all transfer...