Estimating Age Flashcards
What are the two categories of methods for age estimation?
growth of skeleton/dentition and deterioration of the skeleton
What is the growth and development method based on?
ossification and fusion of bones
What are the growth and development method applicable to?
juvenile remains
Are growth & development or skeleton deterioration more precise?
growth & development
What method is applicable to adults?
skeletal deterioration
Bones form in ___ models.
cartilaginous
What part of the bone do primary ossification centers exist in?
diaphysis and metaphysis
What part of the bone do secondary ossification centers exist in?
epiphysis
True or False: Appearance and fusion of epiphysis and diaphysis happen on a unpredictable schedule.
FALSE
How can you make age estimation the most accurate?
by using the entire skeleton
What are the three age indicators for agin juvenile remains?
- lengths of long bones
- union of primary ossification centers & union of epiphyses
- tooth formation and eruption
When does using long bone length work the best?
fetal period to about 10 yrs of age
What is a benefit of using long bone length when it comes to age estimation?
few ancestral or sex differences exist
Why is using long bone length best with fetal remains?
increased age comes with increased variation
Why else can looking at bone growth be helpful in a forensic case?
can look at development and bone density for signs of neglect and malnourishment
True of False: appearance and union of epiphyses with diaphysis occurs on a rough schedule
TRUE
What part of the body can analyzing primary ossification be really helpful for age estimation?
the skull!
What parts of the skull should be analyzed for age estimation?
gaps (fontanelles), the fusion of the mandible, the fusion of the atlas, and the fusion of the axis
What ages are epiphyseal union most useful in estimatin?
10-25 yrs
What are the three scores for epiphyseal union?
unfused, fused, or obliterated
What are some of the limits of using primary ossification centers and union of epiphyses for age estimation?
- some of the union rates vary by sex b/c female bone development is about a yr or 2 ahead
- knowledge of timetables for epiphyseal unions is incomplete
Teeth grow from the ___.
top down (crown –> root)
What are the four things age can be estimated from?
amount of enamel present, amount of crown formed, amount of root formed, amount of tooth eruption
What is the benefit of using dental eruption for age estimation?
the timetable is well documented
What are the limitations of using dental eruption for age estimation?
radiographs are usually required, females develop faster than males, and ranges for age estimates expand with age
What are the four main methods of using skeletal degeneration?
- pubic symphysis
- auricular surfaces
- sternal rib ends
- cranial sutures
What are the current methods for pubic symphysis based on?
methods by Todd (1920)
What is the most used method for analysis of pubic symphysis?
Suchey-Brooks (1990)
What change does the pubic face experience through age?
ridges and furrows –> pitted and eroded
What changes does the ventral margin experience through age?
right angle –> ventral bevel –> ramp art –> fully developed ventral margin
What changes does the dorsal margin experience through age?
w/o dorsal plateau –> plateau present
What changes do extremities experience through age?
no extremities –> extremities fully formed
What are other changes to the pubic symphysis experienced through age?
ossification nodule on the pubic face v. rim around the pubic face
Describe Todd’s method for pubic symphysis age estimation.
has stages 1-10, tight ranges exist between ages, does not reflect human variation
Describe Suchey-Brooks method for pubic symphysis age estimation.
has phases 1-6, collapsed Todd’s stages with statistics, allows for overlap, can show very large age ranges
Who was analysis via auricular surface of the os coxa described by?
Lovejoy and colleagues (1985)
Why is the auricular surface of the os coxa a good bone to use for analysis?
the os coxa is an extremely sturdy bone that preserves very well
What three parts are analyzed during auricular surface of the os coxa analysis?
- auricular surface
- apex
- retroauricular area
What five features change with age when looking at the auricular surface?
transverse organization, texture, porosity, retroauricular area, apex
Describe how the apex changes with age.
starts with a thin crescent border and thickens with age
Describe how transverse organization changes with age.
starts as billows, changes to striae, then transverse organization decreases with age
Who was analysis via sternal rib ends described by?
Iscan and colleagues (1984, 1985)
What are the four features of sternal rib ends that change over time?
surface bone, surface contour, rim edge, and rim contour
Describe how surface contour changes over time.
starts as billowy, then flattens as you age before becoming indented
Describe how the rim edge changes over time.
starts as no rim then rim begins to form as cartilage ossifies, eventually becomes thinner and jagged
Describe how rim contour changes over time.
starts as straight, becomes more wavy, eventually fingers of bone project out
What are the three areas of the cranium analyzed for age analysis?
ectocranium, endocranium, and the palate
Only sutures of the ____ are useful for ectocranium analysis.
cranial vault
How many sutures are useful in for age analysis of the palate?
three
What are the two most common histological methods for age analysis?
cortical bone remodeling & dental changes
What is the main problem with using histological methods for age analysis?
labor intensive and destructive
How does cortical bone remodeling work?
thin sections of bone are but from mid-shafts and osteons (full v. partial) are counted
What are two additional problems with cortical bone analysis?
high rate of count error and many factors besides ages can affect the rate of cortical bone remodeling
Who was the first to propose using dental changes for age estimation?
Gustav Gustafson
What are the 6 dental characteristics analyzed in Gustafson’s method?
attrition, secondary dentin, paradentium, cementum apposition, root transparency, and reoot resorption
What is attrition?
dental wear
What is paradentium?
root recession
What is root resorption?
the loss of the tips of roots
