Age Estimation in Forensic Sciences

• DOI: 10.1074/mcp.m900525-mcp200
• Publication Date: 2009-12-05T02:33:06Z
• Authors: Kanar Alkass; Bruce A. Buchholz; Susumu Ohtani; Toshiharu Yamamoto; Henrik Druid; Kirsty L. Spalding
• Keywords: Racemization; Aspartic acid

Age determination of unknown human bodies is important in the setting a crime investigation or mass disaster because age at death, birth date, and year death as well gender can guide investigators to correct identity among large number possible matches. Traditional morphological methods used by anthropologists determine are often imprecise, whereas chemical analysis tooth dentin, such aspartic acid racemization, has shown reproducible more precise results. In this study, we analyzed teeth from Swedish individuals using both racemization radiocarbon methodologies. The rationale behind that aboveground testing nuclear weapons during cold war (1955–1963) caused an extreme increase global levels carbon-14 (¹⁴C), which been carefully recorded over time. Forty-four 41 were crown dentin enamel, 10 these split subjected analysis. Combined showed two correlated (<i>R</i>² = 0.66, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Radiocarbon excellent precision with overall absolute error 1.0 ± 0.6 years. Aspartic also good 5.4 4.2 Whereas gives estimated birth, indicates chronological individual time death. We show how combination assist estimation date unidentified victim. This strategy be significant assistance forensic casework involving dead victim identification.