Review of the Histological Method for Determining Age at Death in Human Skeletons

The histological method for determining the age at death of adult human skeletons is critically reviewed and standardizations are suggested. The accuracy of the method varies with the technique applied but is generally more accurate than morphologic and morphometric methods. A S.E.E. of 2.55 years was obtained by Singh and Gunbewrg (1970) using the mandible. Kerley (1965) obtained a S.E.E. of 5.27 years and Thompson (1978, 1979) obtained S.E.E. 's within 6.5 years using this "core technique". Disease must be screened out and specific equations are required for different "racial" groups. Sex difference does not significantly affect the age estimates. The histologic method is applicable to archaeology, forensic medicine, demography and palaeophysiology. A manual detailing the essentials of the histological method would be useful to future investigators.

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Molecular clocks in ancient proteins: Do they reflect the age at death even after millennia?

International Journal of Legal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s00414-021-02522-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Nina Sophia Mahlke ◽

Silvia Renhart ◽

Dorothea Talaa ◽

Alexandra Reckert ◽

Stefanie Ritz-Timme

Keyword(s):

Protein Degradation ◽

Forensic Medicine ◽

Molecular Clocks ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Age At Death ◽

Morphological Examination ◽

Dental Tissues ◽

Ancient Proteins ◽

Age Estimates ◽

Age At Death Estimation

AbstractAge at death estimation in cases of human skeletal finds is an important task in forensic medicine as well as in anthropology. In forensic medicine, methods based on “molecular clocks” in dental tissues and bone play an increasing role. The question, whether these methods are applicable also in cases with post-depositional intervals far beyond the forensically relevant period, was investigated for two “protein clocks”, the accumulation of D-aspartic acid (D-Asp) and the accumulation of pentosidine (Pen) in dentine. Eight teeth of skeletons from different burial sites in Austria and with post-depositional intervals between c. 1216 and c. 8775 years were analysed. The results of age at death estimation based on D-Asp and Pen in dentine were compared to that derived from a classical morphological examination. Age at death estimation based on D-Asp resulted consistently in false high values. This finding can be explained by a post-mortem accumulation of D-Asp that may be enhanced by protein degradation. In contrast, the Pen-based age estimates fitted well with the morphological age diagnoses. The described effect of post-mortem protein degradation is negligible in forensically relevant time horizons, but not for post-depositional intervals of thousands of years. That means that the “D-Asp clock” loses its functionality with increasing post-depositional intervals, whereas Pen seems to be very stable. The “Pen-clock” may have the potential to become an interesting supplement to the existing repertoire of methods even in cases with extremely long post-depositional intervals. Further investigations have to test this hypothesis.

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Palatal rugae patterns in the Serbian population

Archives of Biological Sciences ◽

10.2298/abs1403131f ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 66 (3) ◽

pp. 1131-1134 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gordana Filipovic ◽

Mirjana Janosevic ◽

Predrag Janosevic ◽

Julija Radojicic ◽

Zorica Ajdukovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Determination ◽

Sex Difference ◽

Forensic Medicine ◽

Racial Groups ◽

Dead Person ◽

Palatal Rugae ◽

Males And Females ◽

Primary Type ◽

Age Range ◽

Plaster Casts

Establishing the gender of a dead person is one of the main aspects in forensic medicine, especially in cases of massive disasters. Palatal rugae have been related with specific racial groups and are said to be useful in sex determination. One hundred pre-orthodontic plaster casts, equally distributed between males and females with an age range of 15-30 years, were examined for different rugae patterns by the Thomas classification. The total number of rugae was not significantly gender linked. According to size, the primary type of rugae was dominant in both males and females. Wavy and curved patterns of rugae were the most common, both in males and females. There was a significant sex difference in the circular and converging types which was higher in males and females, respectively.

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Comparison of Statistical Models for the Estimation of Age at Death Using Subjective Adult Human Dental Indicators

Journal of Forensic Research ◽

10.4172/2157-7145.1000340 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 07 (05) ◽

Author(s):

Isaac Dialsingh ◽

Shalini Pooransingh

Keyword(s):

Statistical Models ◽

Age At Death ◽

Adult Human

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Nasty, Brutish, but Not Necessarily Short: A Reconsideration of the Statistical Methods Used to Calculate Age at Death from Adult Human Skeletal and Dental Age Indicators

American Antiquity ◽

10.2307/2694345 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 55-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 71

Author(s):

Robert G. Aykroyd ◽

David Lucy ◽

A. Mark Pollard ◽

Charlotte A. Roberts

Keyword(s):

Bayesian Approach ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Dental Age ◽

Average Difference ◽

Age At Death ◽

Bayesian Approaches ◽

Interval Width ◽

Confidence Interval Width ◽

Better Than ◽

Age Estimates

It is generally assumed that life expectancy in antiquity was considerably shorter than it is now. In the limited number of cases where skeletal or dental age-at-death estimates have been made on adults for whom there are other reliable indications of age, there appears to be a clear systematic trend towards overestimating the age of young adults, and underestimating that of older individuals. We show that this might be a result of the use of regression-based techniques of analysis for converting age indicators into estimated ages. Whilst acknowledging the limitations of most age-at-death indicators in the higher age categories, we show that a Bayesian approach to converting age indicators into estimated age can reduce this trend of underestimation at the older end. We also show that such a Bayesian approach can always do better than regression-based methods in terms of giving a smaller average difference between predicted age and known age, and a smaller average 95-percent confidence interval width of the estimate. Given these observations, we suggest that Bayesian approaches to converting age indicators into age estimates deserve further investigation. In view of the generality and flexibility of the approach, we also suggest that similar algorithms may have a much wider application.

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Effects of field size when using Kerley's histological method for determination of age at death

American Journal of Physical Anthropology ◽

10.1002/ajpa.1330580203 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 58 (2) ◽

pp. 123-125 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Samuel D. Stout ◽

Sarah J. Gehlert

Keyword(s):

Field Size ◽

Age At Death ◽

Histological Method

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Colors Used in the Pollimeter—A New Rating Scale

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1982.55.3f.1139 ◽

1982 ◽

Vol 55 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1139-1148 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yitzchak Sabban ◽

Shlomo Lampert

Keyword(s):

Sex Difference ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Racial Groups ◽

Continuous Scale ◽

Point Rating Scale ◽

Highly Correlated ◽

Visual Element

The responses of different races to the colors used in the Pollimeter were examined. This scaling device is based on a movable visual element of one or two different colors permitting attitude, involvement, or choice to be measured on a continuous scale. The scores of Negroes and non-Negroes were highly correlated with a five-point rating scale. Though the racial groups differed on the perception of colors, the majority viewed white as positive and black as negative. They did not differ in selection and perception of green and yellow/green. No sex difference was detected. The Pollimeter was reliable, easy to handle, and held the interest of the respondents.

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Technical note: The two step procedure (TSP) for the determination of age at death of adult human remains in forensic cases

Forensic Science International ◽

10.1016/j.forsciint.2014.09.005 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 244 ◽

pp. 247-251 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Eric Baccino ◽

Laura Sinfield ◽

Sophie Colomb ◽

Thierry Pascal Baum ◽

Laurent Martrille

Keyword(s):

Human Remains ◽

Technical Note ◽

Age At Death ◽

Adult Human ◽

Step Procedure

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Analysis of Cementum Layers in Archaeological Material

Dental Anthropology Journal ◽

10.26575/daj.v23i3.79 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 67-73 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Michaela Huffman ◽

Daniel Antoine

Keyword(s):

Archaeological Site ◽

Age At Death ◽

Dental Cementum ◽

Archaeological Material ◽

Diagenetic Processes ◽

Interobserver Error ◽

Layer Technique ◽

Eruption Age ◽

Age Estimates ◽

Site Variability

The aim of this study was to assess the utility of cementum layers for estimating age at death of remains from an archaeological site. Variability in cementum layer counts due to interobserver error and variation among dental regions were analyzed. Interobserver error was later incorporated into age ranges based on counts of cementum layers and compared with age estimates derived from the skeleton. The layers were counted, using 9 teeth from 3 individuals, and the eruption age of the tooth was summed with the average layer count to achieve an estimated age. The research indicates that the assessment of archaeological dental cementum layers has a relatively high interobserver error. The cementum layer aging method resulted in large age ranges and did not correspond with age ranges from skeletal techniques. Chemical diagenetic processes can affect the observation and count of cementum layers by obscuring bands and/or creating additional bands. The variables that affected observability of cementum layers were: high interobserver error, discrepancy of readability of root regions, and large age ranges using the cementum layer technique that exceeded age ranges derived from other, skeletal methods.

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