Age Determination From the Skeleton

Todd

1920 develops first aging system morphology of pubic symphysis four parts of symphysis four features -billowing -ridging -ossific nodules -texture 10 phases

Suchey-Brooks system

1984 reduced Todd's phases from 10 to 6 revised system based on LA coroner sample (modern and multi-ethnic_ standards for males and females

Iscan and Loth

1984-1986 sternal ends of ribs pattern of changes observed pits forming, edges jagged, irregular rim

Lovejoy and colleagues

1985 alternative to pubic symphyses= auricular surface of Ilium more often preserved than pubic symphyses changes continue past 50 years porosities: small and large retroauricular activity

general approaches to adult age estimation

macroscopic vs. microscopic techniques single vs. multifactorial methods

tooth root transparency

Lamendin et al. 1992

accuracy depends on

age categories (subadult aging more precise) skeletal elements available (some bones more informative than others) aging method used (some methods better than others)

fetal and infant material

bone size useful for predicting age at death

standards for age determination

clinical studies of living individuals -childhood growth -dental development -radiography of wrist known age skeletal collections

dental aging methods

comparison with a developmental chart scoring of individual teeth 14 stages

bone remodeling and age

count number of osteons and osteon fragments, % of lamellar bone remaining, then plug into regression equation to predict age not more accurate than macroscopic techniques

notes on dental aging standards

dental chart ages are male/female averages girls develop faster precision of age estimate drops with age +/- 2 months to +/- 3 years average error ranges but individuals may vary further

what is the most precise aging method?

dental development; under strong genetic control

three methods for estimating age at death in subadult remains

development and eruption of teeth long bone length appearance and union of epiphyses

appearance and union of secondary growth centers

epiphyses most useful ages between 10-20 years separate epiphyses easy to see on dry bone

microscopic age determination

first attempt: Kerley 1965, using ground bone sections from femoral shaft later modifications by Kerley and Ubelacher (1978) advantages: can be done on bone fragments, age estimates into the 60s disadvantages: destructive, time-consuming, requires special equipment

general issues in estimating age at death

how accurately can one determine age at death from skeletal remains? how were these standards developed, and from what population sample? can standards developed from one population be applied to another?

tooth wear

of little use in forensic anthro; we don't wear our teeth down

cranial suture closure

one of the earliest developed (19th century) sutures gradually obliterate during adult life general correlation with age ut nots of variability

degenerative skeletal changes

osteoarthritis tendon and ligament attachments ossification of cartilage

long bone length

second choice for estimation when teeth are missing long bones measured without epiphyses not as precise as dental age individual variation, sex differences in growth timing

general observation son epiphyseal union

several years normally elapse between partial and complete union sex differences in timing (girls 1-2 years ahead of boys in epiphyseal development and fusion) in both sexes there is variation of 2-6 years between individuals

multifactorial aging

standard approach skeletons often incomplete so one method won't work for all multifactorial methods allow one to avoid trap of "anomalous" skeletal feature

age distribution and variation within phases

tight distribution in early phases allover the place in later phases