Bonte W, Johansson J, Garbe G, Berg S
Arch Kriminol. 1976 Nov-Dec;158(5-6):163-74.
Estimation of the age of skeletal remains is usually based on subjective evaluation of the morphological grade of decomposition. This assumes, that the investigator is provided with pertinent experience. Experimentally elaborated physical and chemical methods proposed for objectification of the statements did not yet assest until today due to lacking temporal correlation. Our investigations were stimulated by observations on fossil bones indicating that the collagenbound amino acids diminish very slowly dependent on geological age. Samples of 53 skeletons of five to 2500 years were pulverized and subjected to acid hydrolysis. The amino acids released from bone collagen were separated by means of thin-layer chromatography and detected by isatin and ninhydrin reagents. The dye complexes of alanine, hydroxyproline, proline, tyrosine, and valine were measured densitometrically and quantified through calibration curves. We established, that the concentrations of the amino acids exhibited a time dependent reduction as equivalent of a loss collagen. The temporal correlation is very narrow (r less than -- 0,8) and sufficient for datings within plus/minus ten years of the more recent bones. Environmental conditions during post-mortem decay seem to have little influence on this process.
骨骼遗骸年龄的估计通常基于对分解形态等级的主观评估。这假定调查人员具备相关经验。由于缺乏时间相关性，为使陈述客观化而提出的经过实验完善的物理和化学方法至今尚未得到评估。我们的研究受到对化石骨骼观察结果的启发，这些观察表明与胶原蛋白结合的氨基酸随地质年代的减少非常缓慢。对53具年龄在5年至2500年之间的骨骼样本进行粉碎并进行酸水解。从骨胶原蛋白中释放出的氨基酸通过薄层色谱法分离，并用靛红和茚三酮试剂进行检测。对丙氨酸、羟脯氨酸、脯氨酸、酪氨酸和缬氨酸的染料复合物进行光密度测量，并通过校准曲线进行定量。我们确定，氨基酸的浓度呈现出随时间的减少，相当于胶原蛋白的损失。时间相关性非常紧密（r小于 -0.8），足以对较新骨骼在正负十年内进行年代测定。死后腐烂期间的环境条件似乎对这一过程影响很小。
