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Identification
Pollen and spores are carried either by insects or by air movement and settle to earth in a pollen rain. This rain creates a thin layer that is sometimes visible as a greenish-yellow coating on all exposed surfaces. That coating, called a pollen print, can be analyzed to identify the region from which it came.
Significance
Forensic palynologists can take samples of pollen from the clothing of suspects and match them to the pollen print of a given region to link suspects to crime scenes. They can also use pollen prints to corroborate or to disprove a victim's statements about the location of a crime.
Fun Fact
Pollen is extremely difficult to remove and does not easily decay. Therefore, pollen evidence that is properly handled and stored can provide clues to a crime decades after the incident occurred.