NCJ Number
205129
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 49 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2004 Pages: 208-214
Date Published
March 2004
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This preliminary study examined 30 male coxal bones in order to develop ageing indicators based on morphological changes in the acetabulum.
Abstract
The pelvis is one of the best surviving elements of the skeleton, making it anthropologically useful in terms of establishing age at death. In 1985, Lovejoy developed a technique for determining age based on morphological changes in the auricular surface of the pelvis. The current preliminary study relies on criteria similar to Lovejoy’s in the analysis of morphological changes observed on the acetabulum. The authors first analyzed the auricular surface of the 30 samples and then proceeded to isolate 4 criteria based on chronological changes in the acetabulum. An evaluation of the correlation between the four criteria and the age of the sampled individuals revealed a significant correlation between the acetabular criteria and age. A significant correlation was also established between the acetabular criteria and the Lovejoy criteria of the auricular surface. Thus, the findings demonstrated the usefulness of using the acetabulum for age determination. However, use of the acetabulum can be criticized because of the common problem of hip dysplasia. Limitations of the preliminary study include the fact that only male bones were studied and the small sample size renders statistical analyses problematic. However, the results are sufficient to encourage future research in this area. Figures, references