Diagenetic alteration to teeth in situ illustrated by backscattered electron imaging

Scanning electron microscopy of bone: Instrument, specimen, and issues

“…Internal changes are to be expected if there is an evident alteration in the density of the bone and may also have occurred even in the absence of such obvious change (Bell, 1990;Bell et al, 1991). The most common change is a substantial loss of mass with diagenesis.…”

The survival of organic matter in bone: a review

“…However, unlike the generalized chemical processes found in the burial environment, microbially mediated dissolution is focused in discrete zones of destruction, known collectively as microscopic focal destruction (Hackett 1981). Bell et al (1991), Greenlee (1996) and others have used backscatter scanning electron microscopy (BSEM) to investigate microbial deterioration at higher magnifications. BSEM and microfocus small-angle X-ray scattering (Wess et al 2001) reveal zones depleted in organic matter lying adjacent to hypermineralized regions containing large, disorganized crystallites.…”

Mapping Human Movement using Stable Oxygen Isotopic Ratio Mass Spectrometry: Potential Application to Forensic Science Demonstrated by a Modern Horse-Human Study

“…These elements have been recovered from the mineral portion of bone and teeth and more usually from enamel. Enamel being almost entirely composed of mineral has been demonstrated to be more resistant to diagenetic alteration over time and differing depositional contexts (6)(7)(8)(9). Dietary isotopic elements might also be utilized for dietary reconstruction work in the context of mapping movement, where a marked C 4 signal might be detected in bone or dentine collagen in a C 3 locale (10).…”