Increasing the Predictability and Success Rate of Skeletal Evidence Typing: Using Physical Characteristics of Bone as a Metric for DNA Quality and Quantity

摘要

Owing to their longevity, skeletal remains can supply important forensic information long after death occurs. Further, when simpler tests are not available, bone DNA can be invaluable in skeletal identification. Unfortunately, while bones are the longest lasting tissues postmortem, they degrade over time, as does the DNA within. This relationship between bone weathering and DNA degradation is poorly understood, and an analyst can only make an educated guess as to which bones might harbor useful DNA, and how degraded that DNA might be. If the appearance of bone could be related to the quantity and quality of the DNA within before testing commences, substantial time and effort would be saved, and laboratory productivity would increase.