Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T01:34:00.972Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Accurate Age Estimation Using 14C Content in Japanese Human Teeth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 February 2017

Keisuke Kunita ,
Toshio Nakamura  and
Kazuo Kato
Keisuke Kunita
Affiliation:
Division of Chronological Research, Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
Toshio Nakamura*
Affiliation:
Division of Chronological Research, Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
Kazuo Kato
Affiliation:
School of Dentistry, Aichi Gakuin University, 1-100, Kusumoto-cho, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8650, Japan
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We investigated age estimation of persons using 45 Japanese human teeth that consisted of mainly the third molar. We measured the radiocarbon content in tooth enamel hydroxyapatite from the crown as well as those in collagen and bioapatite in the root of the same tooth. Age estimations from tooth enamel apatite yielded an absolute age shift of 1.7±1.4 yr from the true age. This value suggests that estimating the age of Japanese people from tooth enamel is as accurate as the previous studies conducted in Europe and the USA. The 14C analysis of roots suggested that bioapatite is formed slightly later than collagen in the same tooth roots. The appropriate formation age ranges suggested by the tooth enamel analysis can be optimized and confirmed by using the additional F14C values of the root samples. We also noticed a characteristic trend of enamel δ13C values in comparison with the formation ages of the crowns of the teeth. The δ13C value tends to increase gradually from –13.0‰ to –11.5‰ from the 1960s to the 1970s, probably being caused by changes in the Japanese diet. This trend may support the selection of proper tooth formation age as supplemental data in addition to 14C content analyses.

Keywords

radiocarbonhuman toothforensic sciencedate of birthtooth enamel
Type
Chemical Pretreatment Approaches
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 59 , Special Issue 3: Proceedings of the 22nd International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 2 of 2) , June 2017 , pp. 739 - 756
Copyright
© 2017 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 2015 Radiocarbon Conference, Dakar, Senegal, 16–20 November 2015

References

REFERENCES

Alkass, K, Buchholz, BA, Ohtani, S, Yamamoto, T, Druid, H, Spalding, KL. 2010. Age estimation in forensic sciences: application of combined aspartic acid racemization and radiocarbon analysis. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 9:1022–1030.Google Scholar
Alkass, K, Buchholz, BA, Druid, H, Spalding, KL. 2011. Analysis of 14C and 13C in teeth provides precise birth dating and clues to geographical origin. Forensic Science International 209:34–41.Google Scholar
Alkass, K, Satoh, H, Buchholz, BA, Bernard, S, Holmlund, G, Senn, DR, Spalding, KL, Druid, H. 2013. Analysis of radiocarbon, stable isotopes and DNA in teeth to facilitate identification of unknown decedents. PLoS ONE 8(7):e69597.Google Scholar
Cook, GT, Dunbar, E, Black, SM, Xu, S. 2006. A preliminary assessment of age at death determination using the nuclear weapons testing 14C activity of dentine and enamel. Radiocarbon 48(3):305–310.Google Scholar
Daito, M, Sonomoto, M, Kimura, K, Mimura, M, Katoh, M, Daito, M. 1997. Calcification of mandibular permanent molars. Syouni shigaku zasshi 35(1):96–110. In Japanese with English abstract.Google Scholar
Eerkens, JW, Berget, AG, Bartelink, EJ. 2011. Estimating weaning and early childhood diet serial micro-samples of dentin collagen. Journal of Archaeological Science 38(11):3101–3111.Google Scholar
Froehle, AW, Kellner, CM, Schoeninger, MJ. 2010. FOCUS: effect of diet and protein source on carbon stable isotope ratios in collagen: follow up to Warinner and Tuross (2009). Journal of Archaeological Science 37(10):2662–2670.Google Scholar
Fuller, BT, Fuller, JL, Harris, DA, Hedges, REM. 2006. Detection of breastfeeding and weaning in modern human infants with carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 129(2):279–293.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hua, Q, Barbetti, M. 2004. Review of tropospheric bomb 14C data for carbon cycle modeling and age calibration purposes. Radiocarbon 46(3):1273–1298.Google Scholar
Hua, Q, Barbetti, M. 2007. Influence of atmospheric circulation on regional 14CO2 differences. Journal of Geophysical Research 112:D19102.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hua, Q, Barbetti, M, Rakowski, AZ. 2013. Atmospheric radiocarbon for the period 1950–2010. Radiocarbon 55(4):2059–2072.Google Scholar
Kawanishi, H. 1959. Statistical study on the third molar of Japanese - the statistical fluctuations on the timing of emergence, growth and eruption of the third molar. Journal of the Stomatological Society, Japan 26(2):463–478. In Japanese.Google Scholar
Longin, R. 1971. New method of collagen extraction for radiocarbon dating. Nature 230(5291):241–242.Google Scholar
Minami, M, Muto, H, Nakamura, T. 2004. Chemical techniques to extract organic fractions from fossil bones for accurate 14C dating. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 223–224:302–307.Google Scholar
Mook, WG, van der Plicht, J. 1999. Reporting 14C activities and concentrations. Radiocarbon 41(3):227–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nakamura, T, Niu, E, Oda, H, Ikeda, A, Minami, M, Ohta, T, Oda, T. 2004. High precision 14C measurements with the HVEE Tandetron AMS system at Nagoya University. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 223–224:124–129.Google Scholar
Nakamura, T, Nishida, I, Takada, H, Okuno, M, Minami, M, Oda, H. 2007. Marine reservoir effect deduced from 14C dates on marine shells and terrestrial remains at archeological sites in Japan. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 259:453–459.Google Scholar
Nishihara, G, Daito, M. 1989. Clinical observations on the stages of tooth formation – especially permanent incisors. Shika Igaku (Journal of Osaka Odontological Society) 52(6):771–810. In Japanese with abstract in English.Google Scholar
Nolla, CM. 1960. The development of the permanent teeth. Journal of Dentistry for Children 27:254–263.Google Scholar
Reimer, PJ, Brown, TA, Reimer, RW. 2004. Discussion: reporting and calibration of post-bomb 14C data. Radiocarbon 46(3):1299–1304.Google Scholar
Smith, BH. 1991. Standards of human tooth formation and dental age assessment. In: Kelley MA, Larsen CS, editors. Advances in Dental Anthropology. New York: Wiley-Liss. p 143–168.Google Scholar
Spalding, KL, Buchholz, BA, Bergman, LE, Druid, H, Frisén, J. 2005. Forensics: age written in teeth by nuclear tests. Nature 437(7057):333–334.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M, Polach, HA. 1977. Discussion: reporting of 14C data. Radiocarbon 19(3):355–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sullivan, CH, Krueger, HW. 1981. Carbon isotope analysis of separate chemical phases in modern and fossil bone. Nature 292(5281):333–335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tanaka, M. 1988. Clinical observations on the stages of tooth formation—especially permanent molars. Shika Igaku (Journal of Osaka Odontological Society) 51(4):739–800. In Japanese with abstract in English.Google Scholar
Tanaka, T, Daito, M. 1992. Clinical research on the development of third molars in panoramamic radiographs. Shika Igaku (Journal of Osaka Odontological Society) 55(4):337–348. In Japanese with English abstract.Google Scholar
van der Sluis, LG, Reimer, OJ, Lynnerup, N. 2015. Investigating intra-individual dietary change and 14C ages using high-resolution δ13C and δ15N isotope ratios and 14C ages obtained from dentine increments. Radiocarbon 57(4):665–677.Google Scholar
Wang, N, Shen, CD, Ding, P, Yi, WX, Sun, WD, Liu, KX, Ding, XF, Fu, DP, Yuan, J, Yang, XY, Zhou, LP. 2010. Improved application of bomb carbon in teeth for forensic investigation. Radiocarbon 52(2):706–716.Google Scholar
Warinner, C, Tuross, N. 2009. Alkaline cooking and stable isotope tissue-diet spacing in swine: archaeological implications. Journal of Archaeological Science 36(8):1690–1697.Google Scholar