RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Determining the postmortem interval (PMI) accurately remains a significant challenge in forensic sciences, especially for intervals greater than 5 years (late PMI). Traditional methods often fail due to the extensive degradation of soft tissues, necessitating reliance on bone material examinations. The precision in estimating PMIs diminishes with time, particularly for intervals between 1 and 5 years, dropping to about 50% accuracy. This study aims to address this issue by identifying key protein biomarkers through proteomics and machine learning, ultimately enhancing the accuracy of PMI estimation for intervals exceeding 15 years. METHODS: Proteomic analysis was conducted using LC-MS/MS on skeletal remains, specifically focusing on the tibia and ribs. Protein identification was performed using two strategies: a tryptic-specific search and a semitryptic search, the latter being particularly beneficial in cases of natural protein degradation. The Random Forest algorithm was used to model protein abundance data, enabling the prediction of PMI. A thorough screening process, combining importance scores and SHAP values, was employed to identify the most informative proteins for model's training and accuracy. RESULTS: A minimal set of three biomarkers-K1C13, PGS1, and CO3A1-was identified, significantly improving the prediction accuracy between PMIs of 15 and 20 years. The model, based on protein abundance data from semitryptic peptides in tibia samples, achieved sustained 100% accuracy across 100 iterations. In contrast, non-supervised methods like PCA and MCA did not yield comparable results. Additionally, the use of semitryptic peptides outperformed tryptic peptides, particularly in tibia proteomes, suggesting their potential reliability in late PMI prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limitations such as sample size and PMI range, this study demonstrates the feasibility of combining proteomics and machine learning for accurate late PMI predictions. Future research should focus on broader PMI ranges and various bone types to further refine and standardize forensic proteomic methodologies for PMI estimation.
Assuntos
Biomarcadores , Aprendizado de Máquina , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Proteômica , Humanos , Proteômica/métodos , Projetos Piloto , Biomarcadores/análise , Masculino , Espectrometria de Massas em Tandem/métodos , Cromatografia Líquida , Feminino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Idoso , Fatores de Tempo , Restos Mortais/química , Tíbia/química , Osso e Ossos/química , Osso e Ossos/metabolismo , Adulto , Idoso de 80 Anos ou maisRESUMO
A major challenge in forensic anthropology and bioarcheology is the development of fast and effective methods for sorting commingled remains. This study assesses how portable laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) can be used to group skeletal remains based on their elemental profiles. LIBS spectra were acquired from the remains of 45 modern skeletons, with a total data set of 8388 profiles from 1284 bones. Spectral feature selection was conducted to reduce the spectral profiles to the peaks exhibiting the highest variation among individuals. Emission lines corresponding to 9 elements (Ca, P, C, K, Mg, Na, Al, Ba, and Sr) were found important for classification. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was concurrently used to classify each spectral profile. From the 45 individuals, each LIBS spectrum was successfully sorted to its corresponding skeleton with an average accuracy of 87%. These findings indicate that variation exists among the LIBS profiles of individuals' skeletal remains, highlighting the potential for portable LIBS technology to aid in the sorting of commingled remains.
Assuntos
Osso e Ossos , Lasers , Análise Espectral , Humanos , Análise Espectral/métodos , Osso e Ossos/química , Análise Discriminante , Antropologia Forense/métodos , Restos Mortais/químicaRESUMO
DNA analysis plays a crucial role in forensic investigations, helping in criminal cases, missing persons inquiries, and archaeological research. This study focuses on the DNA concentration in different skeletal elements to improve human identification efforts. Ten cases of unidentified skeletal remains brought to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Timisoara, Romania, underwent DNA analysis between 2019 and 2023. The results showed that teeth are the best source for DNA extraction as they contain the highest concentration of genetic material, at 3.68 ng/µL, compared to the petrous temporal bone (0.936 ng/µL) and femur bone (0.633 ng/µL). These findings highlight the significance of teeth in forensic contexts due to their abundant genetic material. Combining anthropological examination with DNA analysis enhances the understanding and precision of identifying human skeletal remains, thus advancing forensic science. Selecting specific skeletal elements, such as the cochlea or teeth, emerges as crucial for reliable genetic analyses, emphasizing the importance of careful consideration in forensic identification procedures. Our study concludes that automated DNA extraction protocols without liquid nitrogen represent a significant advancement in DNA extraction technology, providing a faster, more efficient, and less labor-intensive method for extracting high-quality DNA from damaged bone and tooth samples.
Assuntos
DNA , Dente , Humanos , Dente/química , DNA/isolamento & purificação , DNA/genética , Osso e Ossos/química , Restos Mortais/química , Genética Forense/métodos , Masculino , Romênia , FemininoRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: This research aimed to replicate the Swinson, D., Snaith, J., Buckberry, J., & Brickley, M. (2010). High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the investigation of gout in paleopathology. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 20, 135-143. https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.1009 method for detecting uric acid in archeological human remains to investigate gout in past populations and to improve the original High Performance Liquid Chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) method by using HPLC-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS), a more sensitive, compound-specific detection method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used reference samples of uric acid to create a dilution series to assess the limits of quantification and detection. Samples from individuals with and without gout lesions were taken from foot bones and ribs from the English cemeteries of Tanyard, Hickleton, Gloucester, and Lincoln. RESULTS: We could not replicate the results of Swinson and colleagues using HPLC-UV. Tests using a dilution series of uric acid showed HPLC-MS was approximately 100× more sensitive than HPLC-UV, with the additional benefit of being compound specific. A newly developed hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) method improved retention characteristics. Fourteen samples from eight individuals, five with skeletal lesions consistent with gout, were analyzed with the final method. None showed evidence of uric acid despite the newly developed method's improved sensitivity and specificity. DISCUSSION: The lack of detectable uric acid extracted from these samples suggests that (1) urate crystals were not present in any of the bone samples, regardless of gout status; (2) urate crystals did not survive these specific archeological conditions; or (3) the concentration of uric acid in our bone extracts was low, and thus larger samples would be required.
Assuntos
Gota , Ácido Úrico , Humanos , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão/métodos , Ácido Úrico/análise , Ácido Úrico/química , Gota/diagnóstico , Restos Mortais/química , Espectrometria de Massas/métodosRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Determine the geographic place of origin and maternal lineage of prehistoric human skeletal remains discovered in Puyil Cave, Tabasco State, Mexico, located in a region currently populated by Olmec, Zoque and Maya populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All specimens were radiocarbon (14C) dated (beta analytic), had dental modifications classified, and had an analysis of 13 homologous reference points conducted to evaluate artificial cranial deformation (ACD). Following DNA purification, hypervariable region I (HVR-1) of the mitogenome was amplified and Sanger sequenced. Finally, Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) was performed for total DNA. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants and haplogroups were determined using BioEdit 7.2 and IGV software and confirmed with MITOMASTER and WebHome softwares. RESULTS: Radiocarbon dating (14C) demonstrated that the inhabitants of Puyil Cave lived during the Archaic and Classic Periods and displayed tabular oblique and tabular mimetic ACD. These pre-Hispanic remains exhibited five mtDNA lineages: A, A2, C1, C1c and D4. Network analysis revealed a close genetic affinity between pre-Hispanic Puyil Cave inhabitants and contemporary Maya subpopulations from Mexico and Guatemala, as well as individuals from Bolivia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and China. CONCLUSIONS: Our results elucidate the dispersal of pre-Hispanic Olmec and Maya ancestors and suggest that ACD practices are closely related to Olmec and Maya practices. Additionally, we conclude that ACD has likely been practiced in the region since the Middle-Archaic Period.
Assuntos
Restos Mortais , Cavernas , DNA Mitocondrial , Humanos , México , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , Restos Mortais/química , Restos Mortais/anatomia & histologia , Datação Radiométrica , Masculino , História Antiga , Feminino , Antropologia Física , ArqueologiaRESUMO
The identification of human remains is of utmost importance in a variety of scenarios. One of the primary identification methods is DNA. DNA extraction from human remains could be difficult, particularly in situations where the remains have been exposed to environmental conditions and other insults. Several studies tried to improve extraction by applying different approaches. ForensicGEM Universal (MicroGem) is a single-tube approach to DNA extraction and a temperature-driven method that could have some advantages with respect to previous techniques, among them, reducing the risk of contamination, not requiring specialized equipment, or several steps to perform. The aim of this study was to assess, for the first time, the efficiency of DNA extraction and quality of STR profiles applying the MicroGem protocol and modifications of this protocol from tooth samples in comparison with automatic extraction (AE). Our results indicated that AE and MicroGem performed similar, though with variability depending on the MicroGem modifications, increasing the DNA yield and STR profile quality when DNA is concentrated with Microcon. These findings demonstrated the efficiency of this methodology for DNA extraction from human remains while also providing a simple and quick technique suitable to apply in a variety of forensic scenarios.
Assuntos
Impressões Digitais de DNA , DNA , Repetições de Microssatélites , Temperatura , Humanos , DNA/isolamento & purificação , DNA/análise , Impressões Digitais de DNA/métodos , Restos Mortais/química , Dente/química , Genética Forense/métodos , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodosRESUMO
Archaeological burial environments are useful archives to investigate the long-term trends and the behaviour of mercury. In order to understand the relationship between mercury, skeletons and soil, we applied Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to a detailed, multisampling (n = 73 bone samples +37 soil samples) design of two archaeological graves dating to the 6th to 7th centuries CE (A Lanzada site, NW Spain). Mercury content was assessed using a DMA-80, and data about bone structure and the grave soil/sediments were obtained using FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. The theoretical model is supported by proxies of bone structure, grave soil/sediments, and location of the bone within the skeleton. The general model explained 61 % of mercury variance. Additionally, Partial Least Square - Prediction Oriented Segmentation (PLS-POS) was also used to check for segmentation in the dataset. POS revealed two group of samples depending on the bone phase (hydroxyapatite or collagen) controlling the Hg content, and the corresponding models explained 86 % and 76 % of Hg variance, respectively. The results suggest that mercury behaviour in the graves is complex, and that mercury concentrations were influenced by i) the ante-mortem status of the bone matrix, related to the weight of each bone phase; ii) post-mortem evolution of bone crystallinity, where bone loses mercury with increasing alteration; and iii) the proximity of the skeletal pieces to mercury target organs, as decomposition and collapse of the thoracic and abdominal soft tissues causes a secondary mercury enrichment in bones from the body trunk during early post-mortem. Skeletons provide a source of mercury to the soil whereas soil/sediments contribute little to skeletal mercury content.
Assuntos
Mercúrio , Poluentes do Solo , Restos Mortais/química , Colágeno , Humanos , Hidroxiapatitas , Análise de Classes Latentes , Mercúrio/análise , Solo/química , Poluentes do Solo/análiseRESUMO
The identification of human remains is challenging mostly due to the bad condition of the remains and the available background information that is sometimes limited. The current case report is related to the identification of an unknown soldier from the Estonian War of Independence (1918-1920). The case includes an anthropological study of the remains, examinations of documents found with the exhumed remains, and kinship estimations based on archival documents, and DNA analyses. As the preliminary data pointed to remains of male origin, Y-chromosomal STR (short tandem repeat) analyses of 22 Y-STR loci were used to analyze the exhumed teeth. Reference samples from individuals from two paternal lineages were collected based on archival documents. Y-chromosomal STR results for the tooth samples were consistent with a patrilineal relationship to only one reference sample out of two proposed paternal lineages. Based on the provided pedigrees in the consistent case, the Y-STR results are approximately four million times more likely if the tooth sample originated from an individual related along the paternal line to the matching reference sample, than if the tooth sample originated from another person in the general population. Special considerations have to be met when limited evidence is available.
Assuntos
Cromossomos Humanos Y/genética , Repetições de Microssatélites , Militares/história , Dente/química , Arquivos , Conflitos Armados/história , Restos Mortais/química , Estônia , Antropologia Forense , História do Século XX , Humanos , Masculino , LinhagemRESUMO
The Lake Titicaca basin was one of the major centers for cultural development in the ancient world. This lacustrine environment is unique in the high, dry Andean altiplano, and its aquatic and terrestrial resources are thought to have contributed to the florescence of complex societies in this region. Nevertheless, it remains unclear to what extent local aquatic resources, particularly fish, and the introduced crop, maize, which can be grown in regions along the lakeshores, contributed to facilitating sustained food production and population growth, which underpinned increasing social political complexity starting in the Formative Period (1400 BCE to 500 CE) and culminating with the Tiwanaku state (500 to 1100 CE). Here, we present direct dietary evidence from stable isotope analysis of human skeletal remains spanning over two millennia, together with faunal and floral reference materials, to reconstruct foodways and ecological interactions in southern Lake Titicaca over time. Bulk stable isotope analysis, coupled with compound-specific amino acid stable isotope analysis, allows better discrimination between resources consumed across aquatic and terrestrial environments. Together, this evidence demonstrates that human diets predominantly relied on C3 plants, particularly quinoa and tubers, along with terrestrial animals, notably domestic camelids. Surprisingly, fish were not a significant source of animal protein, but a slight increase in C4 plant consumption verifies the increasing importance of maize in the Middle Horizon. These results underscore the primary role of local terrestrial food resources in securing a nutritious diet that allowed for sustained population growth, even in the face of documented climate and political change across these periods.
Assuntos
Agricultura/tendências , Dieta/tendências , Condições Sociais/tendências , Agricultura/história , Animais , Antropologia Física , Arqueologia/métodos , Restos Mortais/química , Bolívia/etnologia , Osso e Ossos/química , Camelídeos Americanos , Isótopos de Carbono/análise , Chenopodium quinoa , Alimentos , História Antiga , História Medieval , Humanos , Lagos , Isótopos de Nitrogênio/análise , Peru/etnologia , Tubérculos , Condições Sociais/história , Fatores Socioeconômicos/história , Solanum tuberosumRESUMO
Vitamin D deficiency has hugely impacted the health of past societies. Its identification in skeletal remains provides insights into the daily activities, cultural habits, and the disease load of past populations. However, up till now, this approach remained impossible in cremated bones, because temperatures reached during cremations destroyed all macroscopic evidence of vitamin D deficiency. This precluded the analyses of a large fraction of the archaeological record, as cremation was an important burial ritual from the Late Neolithic until the Early Medieval period in Europe. Here, the identification of interglobular dentine (IGD), a dental mineralisation defect attributed to vitamin D deficiency, in experimentally burnt teeth, demonstrates this deficiency to be observable in human teeth burned to temperatures as high as 900 °C. In most cases, it becomes even possible to assess the ages-of-occurrence as well as the severity of the IGD and possibly vitamin D deficiency intensity. This study represents a major step forward in the fields of biological anthropology, archaeology, and palaeopathology by opening up a variety of new possibilities for the study of health and activities related to sunlight exposure of numerous past populations that practiced cremation as their funerary ritual.
Assuntos
Dentina/patologia , Dente/química , Deficiência de Vitamina D/diagnóstico , Arqueologia , Restos Mortais/química , Cremação , Europa (Continente) , Humanos , Paleopatologia , Dente/patologia , Deficiência de Vitamina D/patologiaRESUMO
Cremation is a complex mortuary practice, involving a number of activities of the living towards the dead before, during, and after the destruction of the bodily soft tissues by fire. The limiting information concerning these behavioral patterns obtained from the pyre remains and/or cremation deposits prevents the reconstruction of the handling of the corpse during the burning process. This pioneering study tries to determine the initial positioning of the corpse in the pyre and assess whether the deceased was wearing closed leather shoes during cremation through isotopic (δ13C, δ18O) and infrared (ATR-FTIR) analyses of experimentally burnt pig remains, used as a proxy for humans. The results obtained show that both the position of feet on or within the pyre and the presence of footwears may moderately-to-highly influence the oxygen isotope ratios of bone apatite carbonates and the cyanamide content of calcined bone in certain situations. By forming a protective layer, shoes appear to temporarily delay the burning of the underlying pig tissues and to increase the heat-shielding effect of the soft tissues protecting the bone mineral fraction. In such case, bioapatite bone carbonates exchange oxygen with a relatively more 18O-depleted atmosphere (due to the influence of lignin-derived oxygen rather than cellulose-derived oxygen), resulting in more pronounced decrease in the δ18Ocarb values during burning of the shoed feet vs. unshoed feet. The shift observed here was as high as 2.5. A concomitant isotopic effect of the initial location of the feet in the pyres was also observed, resulting in a top-to-bottom decrease difference in the δ18Ocarb values of shoed feet of about 1.4 between each deposition level tested. Finally, the presence of cyanamide (CN/P ≥ 0.02) seems to be indicative of closed footwear since the latter creates favorable conditions for its incorporation into bone apatite.
Assuntos
Cremação , Animais , Restos Mortais/química , Osso e Ossos/química , Cadáver , Isótopos de Carbono/análise , Humanos , Isótopos de Oxigênio/análise , Sapatos , Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier , SuínosRESUMO
Genetic identification of a Slovenian prewar elite couple killed in 1944 was performed by typing autosomal and Y-chromosomal STRs, and phenotypic HIrisPlex SNPs for hair and eye color prediction were analyzed for the female skeleton using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology. The clandestine grave containing the couple's skeletal remains was found in 2015 and only the partial remains were found. Living distant relatives could be found only for the male victim. Because of a lack of comparative reference samples, it was not possible to identify the female victim through autosomal and mitochondrial DNA typing. However, the possibility of comparison of eye and hair color with a painting exhibited in the City Museum of Ljubljana by the prominent Slovenian painter Ivana Kobilca existed. Nuclear DNA obtained from the samples was quantified using the PowerQuant System, and then STR typing was carried out with different autosomal and Y-STR kits. From 0.09-9.36 ng DNA/g of powder was obtained from teeth and bones analyzed. Complete autosomal and Y-STR profiles made it possible to identify the male skeleton via comparison with two nephews. For the female victim, predicted eye and hair color was compared to colors on the painting. Kobilca's painting confirms the genetically predicted eye and hair color. After more than seventy years, the skeletal remains of the couple were handed over to their relatives, who buried the victims with dignity in a family grave.
Assuntos
Impressões Digitais de DNA/métodos , Cor de Olho/genética , Antropologia Forense , Cor de Cabelo/genética , Sequenciamento de Nucleotídeos em Larga Escala , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Restos Mortais/química , Osso e Ossos/química , DNA/análise , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Retratos como Assunto , Eslovênia , Cônjuges , Dente/química , II Guerra MundialRESUMO
Six million Jews were killed by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. Archaeological excavations in the area of the death camp in Sobibór, Poland, revealed ten sets of human skeletal remains presumptively assigned to Polish victims of the totalitarian regimes. However, their genetic analyses indicate that the remains are of Ashkenazi Jews murdered as part of the mass extermination of European Jews by the Nazi regime and not of otherwise hypothesised non-Jewish partisan combatants. In accordance with traditional Jewish rite, the remains were reburied in the presence of a Rabbi at the place of their discovery.
Assuntos
Campos de Concentração/história , DNA Mitocondrial/genética , Holocausto/história , Judeus/genética , Socialismo Nacional/história , Filogeografia/história , Restos Mortais/química , DNA Mitocondrial/classificação , Genética Populacional/história , Haplótipos , História do Século XX , Humanos , Judeus/história , Masculino , Polônia , II Guerra MundialRESUMO
In this study, we present osteological and strontium isotope data of 29 individuals (26 cremations and 3 inhumations) from Szigetszentmiklós-Ürgehegy, one of the largest Middle Bronze Age cemeteries in Hungary. The site is located in the northern part of the Csepel Island (a few kilometres south of Budapest) and was in use between c. 2150 and 1500 BC, a period that saw the rise, the apogee, and, ultimately, the collapse of the Vatya culture in the plains of Central Hungary. The main aim of our study was to identify variation in mobility patterns among individuals of different sex/age/social status and among individuals treated with different burial rites using strontium isotope analysis. Changes in funerary rituals in Hungary have traditionally been associated with the crises of the tell cultures and the introgression of newcomers from the area of the Tumulus Culture in Central Europe around 1500 BC. Our results show only slight discrepancies between inhumations and cremations, as well as differences between adult males and females. The case of the richly furnished grave n. 241 is of particular interest. The urn contains the cremated bones of an adult woman and two 7 to 8-month-old foetuses, as well as remarkably prestigious goods. Using 87Sr/86Sr analysis of different dental and skeletal remains, which form in different life stages, we were able to reconstruct the potential movements of this high-status woman over almost her entire lifetime, from birth to her final days. Our study confirms the informative potential of strontium isotopes analyses performed on different cremated tissues. From a more general, historical perspective, our results reinforce the idea that exogamic practices were common in Bronze Age Central Europe and that kinship ties among high-rank individuals were probably functional in establishing or strengthening interconnections, alliances, and economic partnerships.
Assuntos
Sepultamento/história , Restos Mortais/química , Esmalte Dentário/química , Feminino , História Antiga , Humanos , Hungria , Masculino , Classe Social , Isótopos de Estrôncio/análiseRESUMO
The identification of antemortem and postmortem fractures is a critical and challenging task for forensic researchers. Based on our preliminary studies, we explored whether the combination of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and chemometrics can identify antemortem and postmortem fractures in complex environments. The impacts of the four environments on the bone spectrum were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). It was found that the bone degradation rate in the submerged and ground surface (GS) environments was higher than that in the buried and constant temperature and moisture (CTM) environments. Additionally, the bone degradation rate in buried environment higher than that in the CTM environment. The average spectrum, PCA and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) results all revealed that there were significant differences between the antemortem fracture and the remaining three groups in a complex environment. Compared with the antemortem fracture, the antemortem fracture control (AFC) and postmortem fracture control (PFC) tended to be more similar to the postmortem fracture. According to the loading plot, amide I and amide II were the main components that contributed to the identification of the antemortem fracture, AFC, postmortem fracture, and PFC. Finally, we established a differential model for the antemortem and postmortem fractures (an accuracy of 96.9%), and a differentiation model for the antemortem fracture, AFC, postmortem fracture, and PFC (an accuracy of 87.5%). In conclusion, FTIR spectroscopy is a reliable tool for the identification of antemortem and postmortem fractures in complex environments.
Assuntos
Meio Ambiente , Modelos Teóricos , Tíbia/química , Fraturas da Tíbia , Animais , Restos Mortais/química , Masculino , Modelos Animais , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Análise de Componente Principal , Coelhos , Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de FourierRESUMO
Freezing bone samples to preserve their biomolecular properties for various analyses at a later time is a common practice. Storage temperature and freeze-thaw cycles are well-known factors affecting degradation of molecules in the bone, whereas less is known about the form in which the tissue is most stable. In general, as little intervention as possible is advised before storage. In the case of DNA analyses, homogenization of the bone shortly before DNA extraction is recommended. Because recent research on the DNA yield from frozen bone fragments and frozen bone powder indicates better DNA preservation in the latter, the aim of the study presented here was to investigate and compare the chemical composition of both types of samples (fragments versus powder) using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Pairs of bone fragments and bone powder originating from the same femur of 57 individuals from a Second World War mass grave, stored in a freezer at - 20 °C for 10 years, were analyzed. Prior to analysis, the stored fragments were ground into powder, whereas the stored powder was analyzed without any further preparation. Spectroscopic analysis was performed using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The spectra obtained were processed and analyzed to determine and compare the chemical composition of both types of samples. The results show that frozen powdered samples have significantly better-preserved organic matter and lower concentrations of B-type carbonates, but higher concentrations of A-type carbonates and stoichiometric apatite. In addition, there are more differences in the samples with a low DNA degradation index and less in the samples with a high DNA degradation index. Because the results are inconsistent with the current understanding of bone preservation, additional research into optimal preparation and long-term storage of bone samples is necessary.
Assuntos
Osso e Ossos/química , DNA/análise , Fêmur/química , Preservação de Tecido/métodos , Apatitas/análise , Restos Mortais/química , Carbonatos/análise , Colágeno/análise , Degradação Necrótica do DNA , Congelamento , Humanos , Masculino , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Refrigeração , Eslovênia/etnologia , Espectroscopia de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier , Fatores de Tempo , II Guerra MundialRESUMO
When decomposition of a recovered body is fairly advanced, identification based on common morphologic features is often impossible. In these cases, short tandem repeat (STR) marker genotyping has established itself as a convenient and reliable alternative. However, at very progressed stages of decomposition, postmortem tissue putrefaction processes can decrease DNA yields considerably. Hence, not all types of tissue are equally suitable for successful STR marker-based postmortem identification. Bone or dental material is often analysed in corpses with advanced decompositional changes. However, processing of these materials is very elaborate and time and resource consuming. We have therefore focused on the suitableness of various types of soft tissue swabs, where DNA extraction is easier and faster. By sampling 28 bodies at various stages of decomposition, we evaluated the suitability of different tissues for genotyping at varying degrees of physical decay. This was achieved by a systematic classification of the sampled bodies by morphological scoring and subsequent analysis of multiple tissue swabs of the aortic wall, urinary bladder wall, brain, liver, oral mucosa and skeletal muscle. In summary, we found variable degrees of suitability of different types of soft tissue swabs for DNA-based identification. Swabs of the aortic wall, the urinary bladder wall and brain tissue yielded the best results - in descending order - even at advanced levels of decay.
Assuntos
Restos Mortais/química , DNA/isolamento & purificação , Antropologia Forense/métodos , Aorta/química , Química Encefálica , Degradação Necrótica do DNA , Impressões Digitais de DNA/métodos , Feminino , Humanos , Fígado/química , Masculino , Repetições de Microssatélites , Mucosa Bucal/química , Músculo Esquelético/química , Mudanças Depois da Morte , Bexiga Urinária/químicaRESUMO
We report here on stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur isotope values from bone collagen of human (n = 20) and faunal (n = 11) remains from the Early Neolithic site of Ganj Dareh, Iran, dating to ca. 10,100 cal. BP. Our focus explores how isotope values of human bone vary by age and sex, and evaluates dietary practices at this site. It also provides a baseline for future studies of subsistence in the early Holocene Central Zagros Mountains, from the site with the first evidence for human ovicaprid management in the Near East. Human remains include individuals of all age groups for dietary reconstruction, as well two Ottoman intrusive burials for temporal and cultural comparison. All analyzed individuals exhibited δ13C and δ15N values consistent with a diet based heavily on C3 terrestrial sources. There is no statistically significant difference between the isotopic compositions of the two sexes, though males appear to show larger variations compared to females. Interesting patterns in the isotopic compositions of the subadults suggested weaning children may be fed with supplements with distinctive δ13C values. Significant difference in sulfur isotope values between humans and fauna could be the earliest evidence of transhumance and could identify one older adult male as a possible transhumant shepherd. Both Ottoman individuals had distinctively different δ13C, δ15N, and δ34S values compared to the Neolithic individuals. This is the first large scale analysis of human stable isotopes from the eastern end of the early Holocene Fertile Crescent. It provides a baseline for future intersite exploration of stable isotopes and insight into the lifeways, health, and processes of neolithisation associated with the origins of goat domestication at Ganj Dareh and the surrounding Central Zagros.
Assuntos
Restos Mortais/química , Osso e Ossos/química , Isótopos de Carbono/análise , Colágeno/análise , Isótopos de Nitrogênio/análise , Isótopos de Enxofre/análise , Adolescente , Adulto , Animais , Antropologia Física , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Dieta , Cães , Comportamento Alimentar , Feminino , Raposas , Cabras , História Antiga , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Irã (Geográfico) , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Ovinos , Desmame , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Small organic molecules, lipids, proteins, and DNA fragments can remain stable over centuries. Powerful and sensitive chemical analysis can therefore be used to characterize ancient remains for classical archaeological studies. This bio-ecological dimension of archaeology can contribute knowledge about several aspects of ancient life, including social organization, daily habits, nutrition, and food storage. Faecal remains (i.e. coprolites) are particularly interesting in this regard, with scientists seeking to identify new faecal markers. Here, we report the analysis of faecal samples from modern-day humans and faecal samples from a discharge pit on the site of the ruins of ancient Pompeii. We propose that bile acids and their gut microbiota oxo-metabolites are the most specific steroid markers for detecting faecal inputs. This is due to their extreme chemical stability and their exclusive occurrence in vertebrate faeces, compared to other ubiquitous sterols and steroids.
Assuntos
Ácidos e Sais Biliares/isolamento & purificação , Restos Mortais/química , Fezes/química , Lipídeos/química , Arqueologia , Ácidos e Sais Biliares/química , DNA/química , DNA Antigo/química , Humanos , Metaboloma/genética , Proteínas/químicaRESUMO
After death, the body begins decomposition, a process that starts with the breakdown of organic matter and typically leads to the complete degradation of a body. Such a process is highly affected by (micro and macro) environmental factors of intrinsic and extrinsic nature. Adipocere is a substance formed from the decomposition of adipose tissue and represents a disruption to the typical decomposition process. Such disruption causes decomposition to slow or arrest completely, placing a body into a state of preservation, and determines complications in the estimation of the time since death (Post-Mortem Interval, PMI). While several studies have been performed on the nature, the formation and the degradation of adipocere, there is still no reliable model to assess the PMI of a body exhibiting it. Case studies are an important source to aid pathologists and investigators during a case. This review presents a summary and an update on the knowledge surrounding the chemistry and the factors affecting adipocere formation and degradation, the timing and the distribution of adipocere throughout a body, and the techniques used to investigate it. Furthermore, a table of the most important case studies involving adipocere since 1950, several images and descriptions of recent cases and operational considerations for the best practice at the crime scene and autopsy are presented to be used as a reference to facilitate forensic professionals in adipocere cases.