Hannah Cross
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Effects of soft tissue on the crystallographic changes to bone mineral upon heating
Upon the recovery of burnt remains in a forensic or archaeological context , bone is often fragmented and comingled , making differentiation between human and nonhuman samples extremely challenging and subjective . Exploring the physicochemical modifications that occurs to bone mineral , hydroxyapatite , upon heating has shown promise in differentiating between species based on characteristic changes within its crystal lattice structure . However , the effects soft tissue may have on the heat induced changes are not fully understood , yet are of paramount importance as most bodies are intact , not skeletonised , during a burning event . Varying weights of muscle , fat , and skin from a porcine “ pork belly ” joint were tested separately to understand their individual effect . Each soft tissue type was wrapped around a bovine bone specimen and heated to varying temperatures . Powder X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy were used to measure the size and strain of the hydroxyapatite crystals . The results suggest that soft tissue provides a shielding effect to the bone , reducing the thermal degradation of hydroxyapatite . This should therefore be taken into consideration when applying data from studies which solely utilise dry bone when attempting to identify the species of origin .
Postgraduate Conference 2021 Page 19