Novel dating method to distinguish between forensic and archeological human skeletal remains by bone mineralization indexes

Int J Legal Med. 2013 Mar;127(2):529-33. doi: 10.1007/s00414-012-0785-4. Epub 2012 Oct 30.

Abstract

The fast, high-throughput distinction between paleoanthropological remains and recent forensic/clinical bone samples is of vital importance in the field of medicolegal science. In this paper, a novel screening method has been described, using the crystallinity index (C.I.) and carbonate-phosphate index (C/P) as a means to distinguish between archeological and forensic anthropological skeletal findings. According to the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses, the archeological bone samples are characterized by a range of C.I. between 2.84 and 3.78 and by low C/P values of 0.10-0.33, while the C.I. and C/P ranges of forensic skeletal remains are 2.55-3.18 and 0.38-0.88, respectively. Significant (p < 0.05) changes were observed in C/P as well as C.I. values between the groups of forensic and archeological skeletal samples. The suggested dating method needs only a few milligramms of bone tissue; thus, it can be extremely useful for distiguishing ancient and recent bone fragments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Determination by Skeleton / methods*
  • Apatites / analysis
  • Calcification, Physiologic*
  • Carbonates / analysis
  • Crystallization
  • Female
  • Forensic Anthropology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Phosphates / analysis
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / anatomy & histology*
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / chemistry

Substances

  • Apatites
  • Carbonates
  • Phosphates