Aspartic acid racemization variability in ancient human remains: implications in the prediction of ancient DNA recovery

The identification of unknown human remains represents an important task in forensic casework. If there are no clues as to the identity of the remains, then the age, sex, and origin are the most important factors to limit the search for a matching person. Here, we present the outcome of application of so-called bomb pulse radiocarbon (14C derived from above-ground nuclear bomb tests during 1955–1963) analysis to birthdate human remains. In nine identified cases, 14C analysis of tooth crowns provided an estimate of the true date of birth with an average absolute error of 1.2 ± 0.8 years. Analysis of 14C in tooth roots also showed a good precision with an average absolute error of 2.3 ± 2.5 years. Levels of 14C in bones can determine whether a subject has lived after 1955 or not, but more precise carbon turnover data for bones would be needed to calculate date of birth and date of death. Aspartic acid racemization analysis was performed on samples from four cases; in one of these, the year of birth could be predicted with good precision, whereas the other three cases are still unidentified. The stable isotope 13C was analyzed in tooth crowns to estimate provenance. Levels of 13C indicative of Scandinavian provenance were found in known Scandinavian subjects. Teeth from four Polish subjects all showed higher 13C levels than the average for Scandinavian subjects.

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Age estimation of Antarctic minke whales Balaenoptera bonaerensis based on aspartic acid racemization technique

Fisheries Science ◽

10.1007/s12562-017-1122-0 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 83 (6) ◽

pp. 947-954

Author(s):

Genta Yasunaga ◽

Luis A. Pastene ◽

Takeharu Bando ◽

Takashi Hakamada ◽

Yoshihiro Fujise

Keyword(s):

Aspartic Acid ◽

Age Estimation ◽

Aspartic Acid Racemization ◽

Minke Whales ◽

Balaenoptera Bonaerensis

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Age estimation based on aspartic acid racemization in dentine: what about caries-affected teeth?

International Journal of Legal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s00414-017-1667-6 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 132 (2) ◽

pp. 623-628 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Nazan Sirin ◽

Christian Matzenauer ◽

Alexandra Reckert ◽

Stefanie Ritz-Timme

Keyword(s):

Aspartic Acid ◽

Age Estimation ◽

Aspartic Acid Racemization

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Non-Concordance of Radiocarbon and Amino Acid Racemization Deduced Age Estimates on Human Bone

Radiocarbon ◽

10.1017/s003382220000597x ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 647-654 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

R E Taylor

Keyword(s):

Amino Acid ◽

Aspartic Acid ◽

Human Bone ◽

Amino Acid Racemization ◽

Aspartic Acid Racemization ◽

Order Of Magnitude ◽

Direct Counting ◽

Organic Fractions ◽

Skeletal Samples ◽

Age Estimates

Radiocarbon determinations, employing both decay and direct counting, were obtained on various organic fractions of four human skeletal samples previously assigned ages ranging from 28,000 to 70,000 years on the basis of their D/L aspartic acid racemization values. In all four cases, the 14C values require an order of magnitude reduction in age.

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Evidence of ancient DNA reveals the first European lineage in Iron Age Central China

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2007.0219 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 274 (1618) ◽

pp. 1597-1602 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

C.Z Xie ◽

C.X Li ◽

Y.Q Cui ◽

Q.C Zhang ◽

Y.Q Fu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Dna ◽

East Asia ◽

Central Asia ◽

Iron Age ◽

Ancient Dna ◽

Human Remains ◽

Central China ◽

Population Movement ◽

Ancient China

Various studies on ancient DNA have attempted to reconstruct population movement in Asia, with much interest focused on determining the arrival of European lineages in ancient East Asia. Here, we discuss our analysis of the mitochondrial DNA of human remains excavated from the Yu Hong tomb in Taiyuan, China, dated 1400 years ago. The burial style of this tomb is characteristic of Central Asia at that time. Our analysis shows that Yu Hong belonged to the haplogroup U5, one of the oldest western Eurasian-specific haplogroups, while his wife can be classified as haplogroup G, the type prevalent in East Asia. Our findings show that this man with European lineage arrived in Taiyuan approximately 1400 years ago, and most probably married a local woman. Haplogroup U5 was the first west Eurasian-specific lineage to be found in the central part of ancient China, and Taiyuan may be the easternmost location of the discovered remains of European lineage in ancient China.

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