Comparative EPR Analysis of Modern and Fossil Tooth Enamel: Unveiling Aging-Induced Components

Abstract

This study involves comparing EPR signals from three-year-old modern cow tooth enamel with the spectra of fossil tooth enamel exposed to natural background radiation over an extended period. The EPR spectrum of the significantly aged fossil tooth enamel displays additional components absent in the EPR spectra of the modern tooth enamel. Specifically, the septet signal associated with isopropyl (or alanine) radicals is not observed in the EPR signals of modern tooth enamel when irradiated up to 1.3 kGy. It is hypothesized that the isopropyl radicals present in fossil tooth enamel are not a result of radiation but rather stem from the natural breakdown of organic components due to the aging process. This characteristic is proposed as a dependable tool for authenticating tooth samples.

Keywords

• modern tooth enamel
• fossil teeth
• epr dosimetry
• isopropyl radical