The importance of bone sample selection when using radiocarbon analysis in cases of unidentified human remains.

Autor: Johnstone-Belford E; Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Australia. Electronic address: eden.johnstone-belford@vifm.org., Fallon SJ; Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory, The Australian National University, Australia., Dipnall JF; School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia/ School of Medicine, Deakin University, Australia., Blau S; Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine/ Department of Forensic Medicine, Monash University, Australia.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Forensic science international [Forensic Sci Int] 2022 Dec; Vol. 341, pp. 111480. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 04.
DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111480
Abstrakt: The radiocarbon ( 14 C) analysis of skeletonised human remains can provide vital information regarding the time since death. This study analysed the 14 C content in both cortical and trabecular bone from the femur and rib of 18 human remains donated to the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research. To determine the most appropriate bone to sample for 14 C analysis when estimating the time since death, differences in turnover time between the bone types, and the difference between environmental 14 C during the year of death (YOD) and the level of 14 C found within the bone (i.e., the lag time) were examined. Overall, the average lag time for all donors was 25 years, with the cortical bone from femur samples providing the largest lag time (39 years) and the trabecular bone from rib samples containing the lowest level of 14 C (most modern), with an average lag time of 13 years. The results of this study suggest that in cases of unidentified human remains, the analysis of trabecular bone from a rib may be preferred sample, as this bone contains the most recent 14 C, and can provide an estimate of both the time since death, and a broad approximation of YOD.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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