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

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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.

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Acknowledgments

The present work was supported by the Hungarian National Scientific Research Foundation (OTKA No. K72592, CNK78480, PD78599), TÁMOP-4.2.1.B-10/2/KONV-2010-0002, TÁMOP/SROP-4.2.2.B-10/1-2010-0029, TIOP 1.3.1-10/1-2010-0008, TIOP 1.3.1-07/1, GVOP 0179, and PTE AOK KA 34039-11/2009 and KA 2011. The authors thank the excellent technical support to Sajti Pinter Krisztina.

Ethical standards

The authors declare that the experiments comply with the current laws of Hungary and the European Union.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Analytical Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pecs, Szigeti Str. 12, Pecs, 7624, Hungary

    Zoltan Patonai, Gabor Maasz, Peter Avar, Janos Schmidt, Tamas Lorand & Laszlo Mark

  2. Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical School, University of Pecs, Szigeti Str. 12, Pecs, 7624, Hungary

    Zoltan Patonai & Istvan Bajnoczky

  3. Janos Szentagothai Research Center, University of Pecs, Ifjusag Str. 34, Pecs, 7624, Hungary

    Gabor Maasz, Janos Schmidt & Laszlo Mark

Authors
  1. Zoltan Patonai
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  2. Gabor Maasz
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  3. Peter Avar
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  4. Janos Schmidt
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  5. Tamas Lorand
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  6. Istvan Bajnoczky
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  7. Laszlo Mark
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laszlo Mark.

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Patonai, Z., Maasz, G., Avar, P. et al. Novel dating method to distinguish between forensic and archeological human skeletal remains by bone mineralization indexes. Int J Legal Med 127, 529–533 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-012-0785-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-012-0785-4

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