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Story: Fossils

Forensic testing

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Forensic testing

The types of plants and the spores and pollen that settle in the soil of a particular area are unique. Forensic scientists take soil samples from car tyres or shoes and compare it with the soil from a crime scene. A match may link a suspect with the crime. Forensic scientist Dallas Mildenhall carefully collects a sample for pollen analysis.

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How to cite this page

Hamish Campbell, Fossils – Uses and collections, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/9053/forensic-testing (accessed 5 June 2026).

Story by Hamish Campbell, published 2 March 2009.