Articlehybrid2009

Age Estimation in Forensic Sciences

Kanar Alkass · Bruce A. Buchholz · Susumu Ohtani · Toshiharu Yamamoto · Henrik Druid · Kirsty L. Spalding

122 citations0/0 files storedMolecular & Cellular Proteomics

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Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies Archaeology and ancient environmental studies Forensic and Genetic Research

Abstract

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

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References

2000Age estimation: The state of the art in relation to the specific demands of forensic practise 1975Aspartic acid racemization in tooth enamel from living humans.2005Age written in teeth by nuclear tests

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2015Age estimation based on pulp chamber volume of first molars from cone-beam computed tomography images 2017When forensic odontology met biochemistry: Multidisciplinary approach in forensic human identification 2011Analysis of 14C and 13C in teeth provides precise birth dating and clues to geographical origin 2013Age Estimation Based on Pulp Cavity to Tooth Volume Ratio Using Postmortem Computed Tomography Images 2014Radiocarbon Analysis of Human Remains: A Review of Forensic Applications 2013Analysis of Radiocarbon, Stable Isotopes and DNA in Teeth to Facilitate Identification of Unknown Decedents 2013Age determination of adult individuals by three-dimensional modelling of canines 2023Dental Age Estimation Using Deep Learning: A Comparative Survey

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