Anthro Exam 2 - Biological Profile: Age at Death Estimation

What is Osteometry? (Metric Analysis)

• Measurement of the human skeleton

  • compare morphology & size across populations, stature, ancestry, sex, specific features, etc.

• Standardized methods & points (Otseometric Points)

What is 3D (Metric Analysis)?

• The “new” morphometry

  • lazer

What is the FORDISC program?

• Based on data from the Forensic Data Bank - known individuals (collections & donated remains)

• Provides statistical results based on the variable input into the program

  • Have as many data points as possible

  • Used for many estimations

What are the (Age at Death Estimations)?

• Growth & Development

• Maturation

• Degeneration

• Metamorphic Changes

Always an age range NOT a specific age (thus estimation)

What is The Fetal Period? (Growth & Development)

• 280 day gestation (~10 lunar months)

• Term neonates ~50cm (~20 inches)

• Long Bone length - estimate the growth

• Measure head to check on brain

• Viable - at what age of the fetus can be rescuable

  • 12 week old - not survive

  • 20 week old - survive

What is the Post Natal Period? (Growth & Development)

• Age ranges can be determined quite accurately to within 6 months

• Age ranges get longer (wider) as one ages

• Sex and Ancestry can affect determinations

  • Females

  • Black/African Ancestry

• In order to accurately calculate someones age you must know:

  • Skeletal Sex & Ancestry (Population Affinity)

What happens during The Post Natal Period going into Childhood? (Growth & Development)

• Long Bone Length

• Dental Development

What can Long Bone Length be used for? (Growth & Development)

Long Bone Diaphysis (shaft) can be compared to longitudinal curves to estimate how old the child is

What is the Dental Development throughout the years? (Growth & Development)

Post Natal:

• Birth - No eruption

• 6 months - 1st tooth erupted

• 24 months - All deciduous teeth erupted

Childhood:

• 6 years - 1st permanent tooth (1 molar)

• 6 ½ years → 11 years - deciduous tooth loss

• ~18 years - last permanent tooth (3rd molar = wisdom tooth)

What does Ossification mean? (Growth & Development)

• Becoming bones/turning into bones

  • Primary & Secondary centers

What is Ossification? (Growth & Development)

Process of becoming bones

• Appearance of primary centers

• 806 centers → 450 centers → 206 bones

What is the Hand development in (Growth & Development)?

• 10 months (only diaphysis)

• 3 years (have epiphysis)

What is (Maturation)?

Growth

• Fusion of epiphysis

• Different bones fuse at different times

• 16 - 20 Epiphysis & Diaphysis finishes fusing

• 17 - 21 os coxa will fuse

(Clavicle (medial/sternal end) is one of the last bones to fuse)

• mid 20’s (25/26ish)

How can you Estimate Age in an Adult? (Maturation)

• More difficult and Less accurate

• Habits, genes influence your skeleton

  • Why?

• Based on degenerative & metaphoric changes

  • ~25 is the plateau of bone & muscle health

  • can be altered by trauma , socio-economic status (quality of food), sex, ancestry, etc.

• Need to use multiple age indicators

What are Degenerative Changes? (Degeneration)

• May use degenerative (age - related) diseases (e.g, osteoporosis - bone not as strong - , osteoarthritis) to indicate that the person might be older

  • caused by sickness

  • substance abuse

  • smokers

• Age ranges - Longer/Wider and less precise

• Usually begins around age 30

• Highly variable

• Should never be used as the only age indicator

When does Osteoarthritis begin developing? (Degeneration)

In some cases

• 20 - 30 limping develops slowly

What factors can cause dental wear? (Degeneration)

• Diet

• Acid Reflex

• Teeth Grinding

• Using teeth as tools

• Highly variable

• Population specific - food, food methods

How can Dental loss happen? (Degeneration)

• Not all older people lose their teeth

  • Not only older people lose their teeth

• Drug Use

• Severe Dental Wear

• Severe Cavities

• Trauma

What are (Metamorphic Changes)?

Process bone changes shape & appearance (as a person gets older)

What are the 4 (Metamorphic Changes)?

1. Pubic Symphysis

2. Sternal Rib Ends

3. Articular Surface

4. Cranial Sutures

What is the Pubic Symphysis (Metamorphic Change)?

• The two sides of the Os Coxa come together at the front

  • Children’s are clearer & defined

What is the Suchey - Brooks Method? (Pubic Symphysis & Metamorphic Change)

• Age related change in symphyseal face

  • (look at the pattern)

• Deteriorates overtime - grooves, edges, gets more flat

  • it is a joint between two bones

• Young - ridges and furrows (grooves, clear, defined)

• Old - Flat & Grainy

What are Sternal Rib Ends? (Metamorphic Change)

• Sternal ends that connect to the sternum through cartilage

• I scan et al.

  • 4th rib

What is the Articular Surface (Metamorphic Change)

• In the os coxae

  • Where the sacrum and os coxae joint together

• Buckberry & Chamberlain

  • Histological changes bone

What happens to your Cranial Sutures as you Age? (Metamorphic Change)

• A (young) - D (old) (gets more blurry)

• A - is most open

• B - see most, but blurry

• C - see it a little bit

• D - not there much anymore

• Based on how closed the sutures are

• (Note; Not all sutures will completely close eventually)

• Need a complete cranium