Identifying mineralised tissue in the fight against wildlife crime

From its ancient Celtic roots, Halloween has become a global holiday. In the US, Halloween activities range from delightfully foolish to downright ghoulish. Americans love their tricks and treats, spending billions on costumes, candy, celebrations and creepy decor. Some of that decor is a little too good at creeping folks out. In early October 2015, a face down clothed dummy brought not just the neighbors’ attention to a Detroit, Michigan resident’s home, but also repeated visits by the police. Not that horrifying decorations are an American specialty. A resident of New Brunswick, Canada, got a jump on Halloween in June 2019 by snapping up a realistic looking Cryptkeeper-like skeleton for a couple bucks at a garage sale, then leaving the frightening fake in their car while they ran errands only to have the real cops surround their car. In 2010, a Florida couple called the cops on themselves after they got suspicious of the Halloween skeleton they acquired at a garage sale. Experts determined the skeleton was real human remains, but did not suspect foul play; it was judged to be a professionally prepared anatomical specimen. 

Distinguishing artificial bones from the real thing – simply by looking – can be tricky for non-experts. To make it more complicated, what if it is not bone at all, but some other mineralised tissue like teeth, horn, antler and ivory? All are bioapatite materials, each sharing chemical similarities. But an expert would also know their distinct differences