Estimating Age

Question 1

What are the two categories of methods for age estimation?

Answer 1

growth of skeleton/dentition and deterioration of the skeleton

Question 2

What is the growth and development method based on?

Answer 2

ossification and fusion of bones

Question 3

What are the growth and development method applicable to?

Answer 3

juvenile remains

Question 4

Are growth & development or skeleton deterioration more precise?

Answer 4

growth & development

Question 5

What method is applicable to adults?

Answer 5

skeletal deterioration

Question 6

Bones form in ___ models.

Answer 6

cartilaginous

Question 7

What part of the bone do primary ossification centers exist in?

Answer 7

diaphysis and metaphysis

Question 8

What part of the bone do secondary ossification centers exist in?

Answer 8

epiphysis

Question 9

True or False: Appearance and fusion of epiphysis and diaphysis happen on a unpredictable schedule.

Answer 9

FALSE

Question 10

How can you make age estimation the most accurate?

Answer 10

by using the entire skeleton

Question 11

What are the three age indicators for agin juvenile remains?

Answer 11

1. lengths of long bones
2. union of primary ossification centers & union of epiphyses
3. tooth formation and eruption

Question 12

When does using long bone length work the best?

Answer 12

fetal period to about 10 yrs of age

Question 13

What is a benefit of using long bone length when it comes to age estimation?

Answer 13

few ancestral or sex differences exist

Question 14

Why is using long bone length best with fetal remains?

Answer 14

increased age comes with increased variation

Question 15

Why else can looking at bone growth be helpful in a forensic case?

Answer 15

can look at development and bone density for signs of neglect and malnourishment

Question 16

True of False: appearance and union of epiphyses with diaphysis occurs on a rough schedule

Answer 16

TRUE

Question 17

What part of the body can analyzing primary ossification be really helpful for age estimation?

Answer 17

the skull!

Question 18

What parts of the skull should be analyzed for age estimation?

Answer 18

gaps (fontanelles), the fusion of the mandible, the fusion of the atlas, and the fusion of the axis

Question 19

What ages are epiphyseal union most useful in estimatin?

Answer 19

10-25 yrs

Question 20

What are the three scores for epiphyseal union?

Answer 20

unfused, fused, or obliterated

Question 21

What are some of the limits of using primary ossification centers and union of epiphyses for age estimation?

Answer 21

1. some of the union rates vary by sex b/c female bone development is about a yr or 2 ahead
2. knowledge of timetables for epiphyseal unions is incomplete

Question 22

Teeth grow from the ___.

Answer 22

top down (crown –> root)

Question 23

What are the four things age can be estimated from?

Answer 23

amount of enamel present, amount of crown formed, amount of root formed, amount of tooth eruption

Question 24

What is the benefit of using dental eruption for age estimation?

Answer 24

the timetable is well documented

Question 25

What are the limitations of using dental eruption for age estimation?

Answer 25

radiographs are usually required, females develop faster than males, and ranges for age estimates expand with age

Question 26

What are the four main methods of using skeletal degeneration?

Answer 26

1. pubic symphysis 2. auricular surfaces 3. sternal rib ends 4. cranial sutures

Question 27

What are the current methods for pubic symphysis based on?

Answer 27

methods by Todd (1920)

Question 28

What is the most used method for analysis of pubic symphysis?

Answer 28

Suchey-Brooks (1990)

Question 29

What change does the pubic face experience through age?

Answer 29

ridges and furrows --> pitted and eroded

Question 30

What changes does the ventral margin experience through age?

Answer 30

right angle --> ventral bevel --> ramp art --> fully developed ventral margin

Question 31

What changes does the dorsal margin experience through age?

Answer 31

w/o dorsal plateau --> plateau present

Question 32

What changes do extremities experience through age?

Answer 32

no extremities --> extremities fully formed

Question 33

What are other changes to the pubic symphysis experienced through age?

Answer 33

ossification nodule on the pubic face v. rim around the pubic face

Question 34

Describe Todd's method for pubic symphysis age estimation.

Answer 34

has stages 1-10, tight ranges exist between ages, does not reflect human variation

Question 35

Describe Suchey-Brooks method for pubic symphysis age estimation.

Answer 35

has phases 1-6, collapsed Todd's stages with statistics, allows for overlap, can show very large age ranges

Question 36

Who was analysis via auricular surface of the os coxa described by?

Answer 36

Lovejoy and colleagues (1985)

Question 37

Why is the auricular surface of the os coxa a good bone to use for analysis?

Answer 37

the os coxa is an extremely sturdy bone that preserves very well

Question 38

What three parts are analyzed during auricular surface of the os coxa analysis?

Answer 38

1. auricular surface 2. apex 3. retroauricular area

Question 39

What five features change with age when looking at the auricular surface?

Answer 39

transverse organization, texture, porosity, retroauricular area, apex

Question 40

Describe how the apex changes with age.

Answer 40

starts with a thin crescent border and thickens with age

Question 41

Describe how transverse organization changes with age.

Answer 41

starts as billows, changes to striae, then transverse organization decreases with age

Question 42

Who was analysis via sternal rib ends described by?

Answer 42

Iscan and colleagues (1984, 1985)

Question 43

What are the four features of sternal rib ends that change over time?

Answer 43

surface bone, surface contour, rim edge, and rim contour

Question 44

Describe how surface contour changes over time.

Answer 44

starts as billowy, then flattens as you age before becoming indented

Question 45

Describe how the rim edge changes over time.

Answer 45

starts as no rim then rim begins to form as cartilage ossifies, eventually becomes thinner and jagged

Question 46

Describe how rim contour changes over time.

Answer 46

starts as straight, becomes more wavy, eventually fingers of bone project out

Question 47

What are the three areas of the cranium analyzed for age analysis?

Answer 47

ectocranium, endocranium, and the palate

Question 48

Only sutures of the ____ are useful for ectocranium analysis.

Answer 48

cranial vault

Question 49

How many sutures are useful in for age analysis of the palate?

Answer 49

three

Question 50

What are the two most common histological methods for age analysis?

Answer 50

cortical bone remodeling & dental changes

Question 51

What is the main problem with using histological methods for age analysis?

Answer 51

labor intensive and destructive

Question 52

How does cortical bone remodeling work?

Answer 52

thin sections of bone are but from mid-shafts and osteons (full v. partial) are counted

Question 53

What are two additional problems with cortical bone analysis?

Answer 53

high rate of count error and many factors besides ages can affect the rate of cortical bone remodeling

Question 54

Who was the first to propose using dental changes for age estimation?

Answer 54

Gustav Gustafson

Question 55

What are the 6 dental characteristics analyzed in Gustafson's method?

Answer 55

attrition, secondary dentin, paradentium, cementum apposition, root transparency, and reoot resorption

Question 56

What is attrition?

Answer 56

dental wear

Question 57

What is paradentium?

Answer 57

root recession

Question 58

What is root resorption?

Answer 58

the loss of the tips of roots