A multidisciplinary approach to forensic biological profiling on a single tooth and nail sample

Area of Science:

• Forensic Science
• Biomolecular Analysis
• Anthropology

Background:

• Tooth and nail analysis offers crucial forensic data, including biographical and geographical information.
• The study aims to optimize material usage and validate a comprehensive sampling protocol.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary sampling protocol for analyzing tooth and nail samples.
• To determine the success rates of various analyses (DNA, isotopes, toxicology, 14C) on dental and nail tissues.

Main Methods:

• Postmortem collection of tooth, toenail, and blood samples from seven individuals.
• Multidisciplinary sampling and segmentation of collected materials.
• DNA, isotope (Sr, Pb, O, C), 14C, and toxicological analyses on tooth and nail segments.

Main Results:

• Successful analysis rates of 80% for dental samples and 77% for nail samples.
• DNA, toxicological, and 14C analyses were more successful in nail samples, while isotope analyses performed better in teeth.
• A personal profile was constructed, matching 62% of parameters with existing medical information.

Conclusions:

• The developed sampling protocol is applicable for simultaneous multidisciplinary forensic analysis.
• Tooth and nail samples provide valuable and applicable results for forensic investigations.