NCJ Number
138651
Journal
Canadian Society of Forensic Science Journal Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1992) Pages: 97-118
Date Published
1992
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study presents the results of blind tests of four morphological methods of adult-age-at-death estimation from the human skeleton, as well as a statistical technique for combining multiple age indicators, conducted on identified skeletons from a 19th century Canadian pioneer cemetery.
Abstract
The four methods were the pubic symphysis test devised by Suchey, Brooks, and Katz; a test based on age-related changes on the auricular surface of the ilium; the examination of ectocranial sutures; and sternal rib end metamorphosis. Sample sizes for the four methods ranged from 27 to 49 individuals. Personal identification of skeletons was based on legible coffin plates checked against complete parish registers available for the entire history of the cemetery. All four methods presented disparate problems of application, the most common of which was increasing bias and inaccuracy with increasing age. Other difficulties included sampling inadequacies and considerable variability inherent in the original standards. The multifactorial aging approach as a means of consolidating age estimates from a variety of methods fared no better than simple averaging of age estimates. The authors recommend the use of a variety of age-estimation methods rather than a single-method approach. 4 tables, 8 figures, and 31 references