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- The Hairy Route to Track Criminals
The Hairy Route to Track Criminals
- By Rebeca Walsh
- Published September 8th, 2008
- Genetics
- Unrated
The utility of water does not only end with your body — it has proved its worth to the police as well. The general location of water storage in human beings is recorded in their hair, reflecting information about their location in recent weeks and years. This is of major help to the police in order for them to track the previous movements of criminal suspects as well as unidentified murderers.
“You are what you eat and drink — and that is recorded in your hair”, co-author Thure Cerling, University of Utah, remarked while elucidating the importance of the same.
Co-author Jim Ehleringer, from the University of Utah too said, “We have found significant variations in hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in hair and water that relate to where a person lives in the United States. Police are already using this to reconstruct the possible origins of unidentified murder victims”.
This technique in its phase of infancy, made an analysis
of stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen that are stationed in growing hair. These isotopes are produced from the water and food that find their way into a person's system and also from the oxygen they inhale regularly.
This special characteristic of the human body has led researchers to come to the conclusion that one strand of hair plays a vital role in determining a person's location, the time period ranging from the time period of recent weeks to years. This consideration depends upon how long the hair sample is and also the amount of time it consumed to grow. The results are not, however, able to direct towards an exact location, but, only a broader geographic area.
Researchers make another claim that the new analysis tool may help anthropologists and archaeologists in addition to the police. For instance, hair samples will facilitate these researchers to study ancient hair samples if they wish to find out where exactly Native Americans migrated. This all-new tool could also be of great assistance for medical purposes.
“You are what you eat and drink — and that is recorded in your hair”, co-author Thure Cerling, University of Utah, remarked while elucidating the importance of the same.
Co-author Jim Ehleringer, from the University of Utah too said, “We have found significant variations in hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in hair and water that relate to where a person lives in the United States. Police are already using this to reconstruct the possible origins of unidentified murder victims”.
This technique in its phase of infancy, made an analysis
This special characteristic of the human body has led researchers to come to the conclusion that one strand of hair plays a vital role in determining a person's location, the time period ranging from the time period of recent weeks to years. This consideration depends upon how long the hair sample is and also the amount of time it consumed to grow. The results are not, however, able to direct towards an exact location, but, only a broader geographic area.
Researchers make another claim that the new analysis tool may help anthropologists and archaeologists in addition to the police. For instance, hair samples will facilitate these researchers to study ancient hair samples if they wish to find out where exactly Native Americans migrated. This all-new tool could also be of great assistance for medical purposes.