Estimating Stature Flashcards
What is the final component of the biological profile?
stature
What five elements is stature composed of?
- skull
- vertebral column
- pelvis
- lower limb
- ankle
Who was the first to estimate stature from a skeleton?
Thomas Dwight
How did Dwight first estimate stature?
layed out all the bones, stuck them together with clay, measured
Are cadaver length and living height the same?
no, decomposition impacts soft tissue and can lead to under/over estimation
Who was the Full Skeleton Method developed by?
George Fully
Describe the Full Skeleton Method
measure the bones of the skull, vertebrae, femur, and tibia and use an equation to estimate height
What are the two equations used in the Full Skeleton Method?
- 11.7 + 0.996(sum of skeleton)
- 12.1 + 1.009(sum of skeleton) - 0.0426(age)
What is the most popular method for estimating stature?
Long Limb Bone Method
Who was the long limb bone method developed by?
Trotter & Glasser (1952, 1958)
TRUE or FALSE: lengths of long limbs are highly correlated to stature
TRUE (they make up a big proportion of height)
TRUE or FALSE: the height of the body’s left & right sides are correlated
TRUE
TRUE or FALSE: the lengths of different bones within the same individual are not correlated
FALSE
TRUE or FALSE: stature estimations should be independent of sex and population considerations
FASLE
Why does population impact stature?
childhood stress and nutrition can greatly impact growth potental
TRUE or FALSE: the accuracy of stature estimates increase with the number of bones used
TRUE (true to a point because after ~3, bones stop being helpful and can increase human error)
What three other bones (besides long bones) can be used to measure stature?
metacarpals, metatarsals, and the vertebral column
What is the least preferred method of estimating stature?
partial long limb bones
Can FORDISC be used to measure height?
Yes! (commonly the lengths of the femur and clavicle are inputted)
What are three considerations to keep in mind when do stature estimations?
- age of individual
- bone shrinkage
- reported vs measured stature
Does FORDISC consider age when making a stature estimation?
No :(
