Stabel Isotope Analysis: Bone and Teeth

Abstract

In most of the different body deposition scenarios but for cremation, bone and teeth are typically the human remains that remain intact the longest after death has occurred. In the absence of any distinguishing features or other evidence that could help with positive victim identification, stable isotope profiles or signatures can provide useful information about a person's diet and geographic life trajectory, which can bring focus to an investigation involving unidentified victims of serious crime or mass disasters. No matter what the case circumstance, victim identification is of paramount importance to provide closure for next of kin and to help dealing with legal processes ensuing from the death of a person. In cases of serious crime, identification of the victim is a major stepping stone toward identifying the perpetrator/s.

Carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios reveal geographic affinity and dietary status of Ajnala skeletal remains: A forensic anthropological study

“…Human hard tissues of bones and teeth have the most prolonged postmortem survival and act as an excellent source of information about the human past. 1,2 Of all the human tissues such as hair, nail, skin, muscle, the human hard tissues of bones and teeth have been found to be better preserved to respond to various forensic or bio-archaeological queries. The bones and teeth are the dynamic but resistant biological entities, which reveal the hidden biological information encoded within them regarding the lifetime events and the identity signatures of the deceased.…”