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Rate of aspartic acid racemization in bone
1Department of Forensic Medicine, Kanagawa Dental College, Yokosuka, Japan.
The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology
|October 6, 1998
Summary
Amino acid racemization in bones offers a potential method for age estimation. However, aspartic acid racemization in bone is significantly slower than in dentin, making age determination more challenging.
Area of Science:
- Biogeochemistry
- Forensic Anthropology
- Paleochronology
Background:
- Amino acid racemization (AAR) is a dating technique used in various materials.
- Previous research has focused on AAR in dentin, but bone AAR rates are largely uninvestigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential of estimating age using amino acid racemization in human bones.
- To determine the rate of aspartic acid racemization in bone tissue.
Main Methods:
- A heating experiment was conducted on human bone samples.
- The rate of aspartic acid racemization was quantified.
- The Arrhenius equation was applied to determine the racemization rate constant (k).
Main Results:
- The rate constant (k) for aspartic acid racemization in bone was calculated.
- At an assumed annual mean temperature of 15°C, the racemization rate constant (k(y)) was determined to be 4.1036 x 10⁻⁹.
- This rate is substantially lower compared to that observed in dentin.
Conclusions:
- The slow rate of aspartic acid racemization in bone suggests challenges for accurate age estimation.
- Determining age from bone aspartic acid residues is likely more difficult than from dentin.