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In 2008, Finnish police were investigating a stolen car when they stumbled upon an unexpected piece of evidence—a dead, blood-filled mosquito inside the vehicle.

Suspecting it might hold a clue, they sent the insect to the National Bureau of Investigation. There, forensic scientists extracted DNA from the blood the mosquito had recently consumed.

The analysis revealed a match with a known individual in the criminal database, who was not the car’s owner.

The suspect claimed never to have been in the car, but the DNA evidence from the mosquito directly contradicted that, placing him at the scene.

This clever use of insect-based forensics provided the crucial link needed to move the case forward.

The case became internationally known as an example of how innovative and detailed forensic science can be—demonstrating that even the smallest clues, like a mosquito, can help solve crimes when analyzed carefully.

Squirrels, particularly species like the Eastern gray squirrel, play an unintended but valuable role in forest regeneration.

During autumn, they engage in scatter-hoarding, a behavior where they bury nuts and seeds in various locations to retrieve during winter.

However, they don't always recover all their caches, either due to forgetting or dying before retrieval.

These unretrieved nuts, especially acorns and other tree seeds, often germinate and grow into trees, contributing to natural forest growth.

Ecologists recognize this process as a form of passive seed dispersal, making squirrels important—even if accidental—agents in reforestation and biodiversity maintenance.

This phenomenon has been observed in multiple forest ecosystems across North America, Europe, and parts of Asia.

Squirrels’ role, though unintentional, helps maintain tree populations, especially oak, beech, and hazelnut trees.