- Texas State University
Department of Anthropology
601 University Drive
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: 512-245-1900 - 512-245-1945
Daniel Wescott
Texas State University, Anthropology, Faculty Member
- Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, Science Education, Biological Anthropology, Human Evolution, and 14 moreForensic Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, Human Anatomy (Biological Anthropology), Skeletal Biology, Bone Biology, Functional Anatomy, Evolutionary Anatomy, Bone Mechanics, Cross-Sectional Geometry, Archaeological Science, Paleoanthropology, Taphonomy, Evolutionary Anthropology, and Biodistanceedit
- B.A., magna cum laude Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, Anthropology, 1994. M.A., Wichita State University, Wic... moreB.A., magna cum laude Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, Anthropology, 1994.
M.A., Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, Biological Anthropology, 1996, Thesis title: Effect of Age on Sexual Dimorphism in the Adult Cranial Base and Upper Cervical Region.
Ph.D., University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 2001, Dissertation title: Structural Variation in the Humerus and Femur in the American Great Plains and Adjacent Regions.
I am a practicing forensic anthropologist, a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, and an editorial board member of the Journal of Forensic Sciences. I conduct research in forensic anthropology, bioarchaeology, and bone biomechanics. My research focuses on developing and testing forensic anthropological methods for reconstructing biological profiles and trauma patterns from human skeletal remains, reconstructing activity patterns and behavior in past populations using long bone biomechanics, and testing hypothesis regarding changes in human skeletal morphology due to evolutionary and secular forces. I have received support for research from the Forensic Sciences Foundation, State Historical Society of Missouri, William M. Bass Endowment, Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee, and other public and private institutions. HMy works have been published in a variety of journals including Journal of Forensic Sciences, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Journal of Human Evolution, Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, Plains Anthropologists, Missouri Anthropologist, Evolution: Education and Outreach, and others. My skeletal biology research has been acknowledged by being highlighted twice in Science, included in forensic anthropology textbooks, and by receipt of the Ellis Kerley Award (2007) for excellence in forensic anthropology research.
I am also an award winning and dedicated teacher and mentor with experience directing undergraduate and graduate (MA and PhD) research. My students have successfully competed for research and travel funds from several organizations, gone on to fully-funded graduate programs, and found employment in the fields of their choice. I have also served on professional committees in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, American Association of Physical Anthropologists, and the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Anthropology.edit
""Recent analyses of body mass and encephalization quotient (EQ) find that EQ is similar in early Homo erectus and australopiths, and either remains fairly... more
""Recent analyses of body mass and encephalization quotient (EQ) find that EQ is similar in early Homo erectus and australopiths, and either remains fairly low or increases greatly throughout the Middle Pleistocene. Differences in sample composition and methods make choosing between these conflicting interpretations problematic. In this study, we assemble a large dataset of hominin cranial capacities and body masses in order to assess the tempo and mode of EQ change through time. We calculated EQ for specimens with associated crania and postcrania (EQ1); and for species, using associated (EQ2) and unassociated (EQ3) crania and postcrania, and crania only (EQ4). This study design allowed us to test the effect of different methods and sample composition on EQ. In addition, we used hypothetical growth curves to increase body mass values for key juvenile specimens from Malapa, Dmanisi and West Turkana. New EQ estimates for Dmanisi D2700 and KNM-WT 15000 allow us to reject the hypothesis that EQ does not differ between australopiths and early H. erectus. Systematic differences between EQ estimates calculated in different ways suggest that EQ in Middle Pleistocene Homo has been both under- and overestimated in the recent literature. EQ increases in a step-like fashion in australopiths, early H. erectus, archaic Homo, and Neanderthals and H. sapiens. With the possible exception of H. erectus, EQ seems to remain static within species over long time periods. These results underscore the mosaic nature of brain and body evolution in Pleistocene Homo.""
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A qualitative actualistic human taphonomy study was conducted to analyze human decomposition and disarticulation in coffins. Two adult cadavers were placed in rectangular wooden coffins for around two and a half years for the purpose of... more
A qualitative actualistic human taphonomy study was conducted to analyze human decomposition and disarticulation in coffins. Two adult cadavers were placed in rectangular wooden coffins for around two and a half years for the purpose of the study. We used the archaeothanatological methodological framework to situate the actualistic study in a mortuary archaeological context. In addition to previously known factors acting on postmortem movement—including gravity, insect activity, water, and bloat—the results demonstrate that bone movement in coffins can be affected by the collection of decomposition by-products, including both movement of limbs during decomposition and stabilization of bones when the decomposition by-products solidified. The disarticulation sequence observed in the coffin differed from that proposed in previous archaeothanatological research and was conclusive with findings from earlier actualistic studies where disarticulation was demonstrated to be variable. We emp...
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The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) began accepting whole-body donations for scientific research and educational purposes under the Texas Anatomical Gift Act in 2008. Research conducted with donated whole bodies... more
The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) began accepting whole-body donations for scientific research and educational purposes under the Texas Anatomical Gift Act in 2008. Research conducted with donated whole bodies involves studies in taphonomy and human decomposition, including reconstructing the postmortem interval. Following decomposition, the skeletal elements of all donors are collected, cleaned, and permanently curated into the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection (TXSTDSC), which is used for teaching and research by faculty and students at Texas State but is also open to external researchers. To date, FACTS has received 710 donors. Fifty-eight percent of donors are male and 42% are female. Donor ages range from 21 weeks’ gestation to 103 years old at the time of death, with a mean of 66 years, and a median of 68 years. Based on self-identified or family-identified ancestry, 90% of donors are White, 4.5% are Hispanic, 3% are Black, less than 2% are of mixed...
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A qualitative actualistic human taphonomy study was conducted to analyze human decomposition and disarticulation in coffins. Two adult cadavers were placed in rectangular wooden coffins for around two and a half years for the purpose of... more
A qualitative actualistic human taphonomy study was conducted to analyze human decomposition and disarticulation in coffins. Two adult cadavers were placed in rectangular wooden coffins for around two and a half years for the purpose of the study. We used the archaeothanatological methodological framework to situate the
actualistic study in a mortuary archaeological context. In addition to previously known factors acting on postmortem movement—including gravity, insect activity, water, and bloat—the results demonstrate that bone movement in coffins can be affected by the collection of decomposition by-products, including both movement of limbs during decomposition and stabilization of bones when the decomposition by-products solidified. The disarticulation sequence observed in the coffin differed from that proposed in previous archaeothanatological research and was conclusive with findings from earlier actualistic studies where disarticulation was demonstrated to be variable. We emphasize the importance of deducing what type of void context the deceased was originally placed in prior to interpretations of causative taphonomic agents, as different voids allow for a variability of potential taphonomic postmortem processes. To this end, archaeothanatological analyses are useful. This study confirms the importance of considering human taphonomy in situ for interpretations of mortuary treatment in connection to deposition.
actualistic study in a mortuary archaeological context. In addition to previously known factors acting on postmortem movement—including gravity, insect activity, water, and bloat—the results demonstrate that bone movement in coffins can be affected by the collection of decomposition by-products, including both movement of limbs during decomposition and stabilization of bones when the decomposition by-products solidified. The disarticulation sequence observed in the coffin differed from that proposed in previous archaeothanatological research and was conclusive with findings from earlier actualistic studies where disarticulation was demonstrated to be variable. We emphasize the importance of deducing what type of void context the deceased was originally placed in prior to interpretations of causative taphonomic agents, as different voids allow for a variability of potential taphonomic postmortem processes. To this end, archaeothanatological analyses are useful. This study confirms the importance of considering human taphonomy in situ for interpretations of mortuary treatment in connection to deposition.
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Research Interests: Chemistry, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Science, Stable Isotope Analysis, Decomposition, and 11 moreStable Isotope Forensics, Diagenesis, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Forensic Taphonomy, Hair, Cleaning Protocol, Degradation, Hair forensic examination, How Isotopes Are Applied in Forensics, and Human Decomposition
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Abstract The study of death and burial in prehistoric populations is fundamental to understanding the human past. In recent years increasing attention has been given to methods and techniques to understand important aspects of funerary... more
Abstract The study of death and burial in prehistoric populations is fundamental to understanding the human past. In recent years increasing attention has been given to methods and techniques to understand important aspects of funerary ritual such as body treatment, and concepts of death and decay of the human body. The French-developed methodological approach archaeothanatology aims to understand how the dead body was treated, and which factors influenced the final condition and position of the skeletal remains. A core part of the approach is assessing the anatomical articulation of the joints of the skeleton. Sequences of the relative order in which the joints of the body naturally disarticulate are used to reconstruct body position and condition upon interment. These disarticulation sequences are largely based on observations of archaeological skeletons, in which distinguishing the effects of different variables is highly challenging. Experimental studies (actualistic taphonomy) allow observation of disarticulation and bone movement under controlled conditions. This paper discusses the actualistic experimental study of a willed donated human body to examine the process of decomposition and skeletal disarticulation under controlled conditions. The results support earlier indications that burial environment and variations in body position can greatly affect patterns of disarticulation and bone displacement. Furthermore, the process of disarticulation observed in this study was complex, involving multiple instances of displacement of bones out of anatomical position prior to loss of the connective tissues, as well as cases of disarticulation followed by ‘re-articulation’. This demonstrates that sequences based largely on archaeological data may not capture the entire process. Further actualistic studies are needed to better understand the effects of different variables on disarticulation and final bone position. Such studies provide the opportunity to refine and improve the existing framework used to assess body treatment. Understanding body treatment in the past contributes to the wider conceptualization of human death and burial.
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A few studies have examined the accuracy of the Megyesi et al. (2005) total body score/accumulated degree-day (TBS/ADD) method; however, no study has investigated the validity of the method using human remains at known ADD intervals. The... more
A few studies have examined the accuracy of the Megyesi et al. (2005) total body score/accumulated degree-day (TBS/ADD) method; however, no study has investigated the validity of the method using human remains at known ADD intervals. The current study validates the TBS method for human cadavers placed in three different human decomposition facilities in the United States. Twenty-eight donated cadavers, with known ADD and dates of death, in the first (fresh) stage of decomposition, were placed in sun and shade environments four times per year. The validity of the method was examined by conducting an interobserver error test of the TBS and analyzing the accuracy of the equation at predicting ADD. Nine individuals, experienced with the TBS method, participated in the interobserver error test. The results of the interclass correlation coefficient show that there was no statistically significant difference between observers for any of the body sections (trunk = 0.975, head = 0.959, limbs = 0.940, p < 0.001). Using the TBS regression equation, mean ADD with error ranges was calculated for all subjects and compared to actual ADDs of 100, 300, 500, and 1,000. Results show that mean ADD estimates do not correlate well with actual ADD for any of the actual ADDs (100, 300, 500, and 1,000). The accuracy of the TBS equation is insufficient in estimating mean ADD and error is largely unpredictable, other than it increases with postmortem time. KEYWORDS: forensic anthropology, taphonomy, total body score, accumulated degree-days
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Abstract Stable isotope signatures of bioelements are utilized for geolocation of unknown human remains. Hair in particular can generate a high-temporal resolution record of recent travel history, providing critical investigative leads.... more
Abstract Stable isotope signatures of bioelements are utilized for geolocation of unknown human remains. Hair in particular can generate a high-temporal resolution record of recent travel history, providing critical investigative leads. However, systematic studies of law enforcement packaging materials and evidence packaging protocols are needed, including the full range of sample types and conditions anticipated in casework. Arm 1 of this study examined the impact of freezing storage on hair samples using the FBI’s recommended storage materials (paper, plastic) and Mesa Police Department’s evidence packaging guidelines for varying periods of freezing storage (three weeks, five months). Hair studied was from individuals of different ancestry, including cosmetic treatments (relaxer, dyes), and exposure to decomposition fluids outdoors for up to 10 months. Arm 2 evaluated longer-term storage, comparing hair stored in a desiccator to hair frozen at −20 °C for up to four years. Samples and certified standards were anonymized and randomized during sample preparation. To prevent cognitive bias from influencing interpretations, unblinding of samples only occurred after data correction and reduction were complete. Both the experimental and longer-term storage studies demonstrated δ13C, δ15N, and δ18O values had no significant offsets between frozen samples and those stored at room temperature. However, there were small systematic offsets (+2 to +3‰) in δ2H values, with frozen samples being enriched in 2H compared to controls. In a minority of samples frozen for >six months, δ2H offsets of >9‰ were observed, an amount that could impact the interpretation of an individual’s geographic travel history.
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The Homo erectus specimen KNM-WT 15000 has played a critical role in our understanding of body size evolution. New interpretations suggest that KNM-WT 15000 had a younger age-at-death and a more rapid ontogenetic trajectory than... more
The Homo erectus specimen KNM-WT 15000 has played a critical role in our understanding of body size evolution. New interpretations suggest that KNM-WT 15000 had a younger age-at-death and a more rapid ontogenetic trajectory than previously suggested. Recent fossil discoveries and new interpretations suggest a wide range of body size and shape variation in H. erectus. Based on these new insights, we argue that KNM-WT 15000's adult stature and body mass could have been much smaller than has been traditionally presented in the literature. Using chimpanzee and modern human growth trajectories, we bracketed the range of possibilities for KNM-WT 15000's adult body size between 160.0 and 177.7 cm (5'3″-5'10″) for stature and 60.0 and 82.7 kg (132-182 lbs.) for body mass. These estimates put KNM-WT 15000 near the mean rather than among the largest known H. erectus specimens.
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Sex and race variation of the occipital bone have been previously investigated, but particular examination of the effect of age and ancestry on sexual dimorphism has not been addressed. This paper examines morphological variation... more
Sex and race variation of the occipital bone have been previously investigated, but particular examination of the effect of age and ancestry on sexual dimorphism has not been addressed. This paper examines morphological variation associated with sex and ancestry in the condylar region of the occipital bone and the effect of age and ancestry on the estimation of sex. Models previously published by Holland are also tested, and methodological problems are addressed. The results indicate that age does not have an effect on sexual dimorphism, but that whites exhibit greater, although not significantly, more sexual dimorphism than blacks. Significant sex and ancestry variation is present in the condylar region of the occipital bone, but neither sex nor ancestry could be estimated accurately using measurements of this anatomical region defined by Holland.
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The second cervical vertebra can be used to estimate sex with 83% accuracy in unidentified human skeletal remains. Reported here are the necessary statistics, based on 8 dimensions taken from 400 second cervical vertebrae, for the... more
The second cervical vertebra can be used to estimate sex with 83% accuracy in unidentified human skeletal remains. Reported here are the necessary statistics, based on 8 dimensions taken from 400 second cervical vertebrae, for the computation of customized discriminant functions. Discriminant function equations developed using variables selected in a stepwise procedure are also presented here as an example of the usefulness of this bone in estimating sex.
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Despite technological advances, human remains detection (HRD) dogs still remain one of the best tools for locating clandestine graves. However, soil texture may affect the escape of decomposition gases and therefore the effectiveness of... more
Despite technological advances, human remains detection (HRD) dogs still remain one of the best tools for locating clandestine graves. However, soil texture may affect the escape of decomposition gases and therefore the effectiveness of HDR dogs. Six nationally credentialed HRD dogs (three HRD only and three cross-trained) were evaluated on novel buried human remains in contrasting soils, a clayey and a sandy soil. Search time and accuracy were compared for the clayey soil and sandy soil to assess odor location difficulty. Sandy soil (p < 0.001) yielded significantly faster trained response times, but no significant differences were found in performance accuracy between soil textures or training method. Results indicate soil texture may be significant factor in odor detection difficulty. Prior knowledge of soil texture and moisture may be useful for search management and planning. Appropriate adjustments to search segment sizes, sweep widths and search time allotment depending on...
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Penetrating trauma has been cited as a significant factor in the rate of decomposition. Therefore, penetrating trauma may have an effect on estimations of time-since-death in medicolegal investigations and on research examining... more
Penetrating trauma has been cited as a significant factor in the rate of decomposition. Therefore, penetrating trauma may have an effect on estimations of time-since-death in medicolegal investigations and on research examining decomposition rates and processes when autopsied human bodies are used. The goal of this study was to determine if there are differences in the rate of decomposition between autopsied and non-autopsied human remains in the same environment. The purpose is to shed light on how large incisions, such as those from a thorocoabdominal autopsy, effect time-since-death estimations and research on the rate of decomposition that use both autopsied and non-autopsied human remains. In this study, 59 non-autopsied and 24 autopsied bodies were studied. The number of accumulated degree days required to reach each decomposition stage was then compared between autopsied and non-autopsied remains. Additionally, both types of bodies were examined for seasonal differences in de...
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The Missouri River in Callaway County, Missouri, flooded in 1993, necessitating salvage excavations at old Shiloh Cemetery, which yielded 11 mostly complete skeletons of African American adolescents and 7 other individuals who died during... more
The Missouri River in Callaway County, Missouri, flooded in 1993, necessitating salvage excavations at old Shiloh Cemetery, which yielded 11 mostly complete skeletons of African American adolescents and 7 other individuals who died during the mid to late 1800s. The skeletons exhibit evidence of stress normal for the period but no indications of cause of death. The individuals&amp;amp;#39; unusual age distribution and proximity to one another raise the question of how they died. It is possible these individuals died from trauma or chronic or acute disease. Among the possible causes of death is one of the epidemics that swept across Missouri during the 1800s. In this study we counted tooth cementum annulations (TCA) to verify the skeletal age-at-death estimates and conducted dental cementum increment analysis (DCIA) to determine the season of death as a first step in understanding the history of the cemetery. TCA results confirmed that the 11 African-American individuals examined were teenagers. DCIA demonstrated that all of the individuals died between April and September. The burials, therefore, represent a section of a mixed-race cemetery, which included African American teenagers who died during the same season. Future research will attempt to identify whether this burial cohort died of chronic or acute disease, possibly of an epidemic of infectious disease.
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Sex and race variation of the occipital bone have been previously investigated, but particular examination of the effect of age and ancestry on sexual dimorphism has not been addressed. This paper examines morphological variation... more
Sex and race variation of the occipital bone have been previously investigated, but particular examination of the effect of age and ancestry on sexual dimorphism has not been addressed. This paper examines morphological variation associated with sex and ancestry in the condylar region of the occipital bone and the effect of age and ancestry on the estimation of sex. Models previously published by Holland are also tested, and methodological problems are addressed. The results indicate that age does not have an effect on sexual dimorphism, but that whites exhibit greater, although not significantly, more sexual dimorphism than blacks. Significant sex and ancestry variation is present in the condylar region of the occipital bone, but neither sex nor ancestry could be estimated accurately using measurements of this anatomical region defined by Holland.
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After attending this presentation, attendees will understand the expected trauma and distribution patterns of hard and soft tissues associated with the reduction of human remains 488 *Presenting Author using a small, commercial, disc-type... more
After attending this presentation, attendees will understand the expected trauma and distribution patterns of hard and soft tissues associated with the reduction of human remains 488 *Presenting Author using a small, commercial, disc-type wood chipper applied to a porcine model. This presentation will impact the forensic science community by providing basic guidelines for the skeletal and integumentary trauma patterns of tissues subjected to wood chipper trauma. It will provide expected distribution patterns of remains that will help crime scene investigators, law enforcement, and forensic anthropologists recover the maximum amount of hard and soft tissues possible. This study also outlines the possible ease of human-enacted and natural methods of concealment. In addition, this presentation illustrates the different trauma patterns expected for the axial versus appendicular skeleton placed into a wood chipper, including size ranges. The information included in this presentation is i...
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The presence of an elevated auricular surface and a postauricular sulcus is presented in numerous reference books as osteological indicators of sex, but the validity of these traits has not been adequately evaluated. The ilia of 322 (181... more
The presence of an elevated auricular surface and a postauricular sulcus is presented in numerous reference books as osteological indicators of sex, but the validity of these traits has not been adequately evaluated. The ilia of 322 (181 male, 141 female) adults were examined, the auricular surface was scored as completely, partially, or nonelevated, and the postauricular sulcus was scored as present or absent. Complete elevation occurred almost exclusively in females (67% of females and 0.6% of males). The postauricular sulcus was present in 27% of males and 85% of females. When present, an elevated auricular surface is a reliable indicator that the individual is female. However, the absence of the trait is a less reliable indicator of sex. The postauricular sulcus is a moderately accurate estimator of sex.
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During medicolegal investigations, forensic anthropologists commonly use morphological changes in the auricular surface of the ilium and the symphyseal face of the pubis to estimate age. However, obesity may impact the reliability of age... more
During medicolegal investigations, forensic anthropologists commonly use morphological changes in the auricular surface of the ilium and the symphyseal face of the pubis to estimate age. However, obesity may impact the reliability of age estimations based on pelvic joints. Over the past several decades, the prevalence of obesity has dramatically increased in the United States (US). Since the rate of progression through age-related stages of weight-bearing joints may be influenced by excessive body mass, it is important that anthropologists understand how obesity affects age-related morphological changes in the skeleton. This study investigates the effects of obesity on the validity of the estimated age-at-death based on the Buckberry-Chamberlin and Suchey-Brooks methods by comparing US adults considered normal BMI (BMI 18.5-24.9) and obese (BMI ≥ 30). The obese group exhibits overall greater bias (overestimation of age) and inaccuracy, less precision, and lower correlations between ...
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Nonparametric Statistics, and 14 moreObesity, Medicine, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Humans, Female, Male, Regression Analysis, Body Mass Index, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Pubic Symphysis, Age determination by skeleton, and Forensics Anthropology
This study tests for differences in articular and diaphyseal size and shape of the distal femur and proximal tibia between normal weight and obese individuals, and discusses the effects of obesity on the patterns of sexual dimorphism and... more
This study tests for differences in articular and diaphyseal size and shape of the distal femur and proximal tibia between normal weight and obese individuals, and discusses the effects of obesity on the patterns of sexual dimorphism and secular change in the skeletal morphology of the knee. Measurements of the femur and tibia were recorded for 143 American White adult males and females born in the 20th century. The sample was divided into normal and obese weight categories based on the body mass index. Results show differences between normal weight and obese individuals in the size and shape of the femoral shaft and the medial side of the knee joint, none of which affect the pattern of sexual dimorphism. While changes in skeletal morphology associated with obesity may be observed in recent secular changes, its role is still unclear because of the relatively recent increase in obesity prevalence.
Research Interests: Forensic Anthropology, Skeletal Biology, Obesity, Humans, Forensic Sciences, and 15 moreTibia, Femur, United States, Female, Male, Young Adult, Body Mass Index, Clinical Sciences, Middle Aged, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Secular Change, European Continental Ancestry Group, Epiphyses, and Knee Joint
Average femoral torsion has been reported to differ among populations, and several studies have observed a relatively high prevalence of femoral anteversion asymmetry in Native Americans, especially females. This study investigates sexual... more
Average femoral torsion has been reported to differ among populations, and several studies have observed a relatively high prevalence of femoral anteversion asymmetry in Native Americans, especially females. This study investigates sexual dimorphism and temporal trends in femoral torsional asymmetry among the Arikara from the seventeenth to the early nineteenth century. To establish if there are population differences, femoral torsion was first measured using a direct method on a diverse comparative sample of Native Americans from the Southwest, Midwest, and Great Plains as well as American Whites and Blacks. To examine temporal trends among the Arikara, femoral torsion was examined using the orientation of the maximum bending rigidity at subtrochanteric in 154 females and 164 males from three temporal variants of the Arikara Coalescent tradition. There is significant sexual dimorphism in femoral torsional directional and absolute asymmetry among most Native American samples, but no...
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Archaeology, Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, and 14 moreSkeletal Biology, Biomechanics, Functional Anatomy, Physical Anthropology, Medicine, American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Humans, Femur, Female, Male, Posture, Analysis of Variance, Long Bone Biomechanics, and European Continental Ancestry Group
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Femoral diaphyseal cross-sectional shape is commonly used to interpret levels of terrestrial logistic mobility (TLM; daily distance covered on land by individuals or groups) in human archaeological populations. However, variation in... more
Femoral diaphyseal cross-sectional shape is commonly used to interpret levels of terrestrial logistic mobility (TLM; daily distance covered on land by individuals or groups) in human archaeological populations. However, variation in femoral diaphyseal shape can be influenced by factors other than TLM, such as other lower limb habitual activities, differences in body physique (especially body breadth), age of onset of activities, terrain type, and other environmental and cultural factors. Therefore, similarly shaped femora can occur in populations with different levels of TLM depending on whether the shape differences are due to changes in anteroposterior or mediolateral bending strength. In this chapter, I discuss factors that influence femoral diaphyseal shape and robusticity by comparing diaphyseal shape between individuals with normal mobility and limited or impaired ambulatory ability, examining temporal trends in Native American and modern US populations, and examining ontogenetic factors and non-ambulatory activities on femoral diaphyseal cross-sectional shape. I also discuss and summarize why using multiple biomechanical properties and several bones can provide a clearer picture of the pattern of activity obtained from long bone morphology. I argue that basic femoral diaphyseal shape ratios can be used to estimate levels of TLM when all variables are carefully considered, and that the use of multiple bones and indicators provides a more robust understanding of the mechanical loads that cause similarities and differences in long bone morphology than shape alone.
The biomechanics of bone trauma is the application of mechanical laws to describe and interpret damage that occurs to bone. It involves the examination of both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors resulting in bone injury. Knowledge of the... more
The biomechanics of bone trauma is the application of mechanical laws to describe and interpret damage that occurs to bone. It involves the examination of both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors resulting in bone injury. Knowledge of the biomechanics of bone trauma allows forensic scientists to use bone fractures to deduce the type and direction of loading that caused the bone to fail. The strength of the bone is its ability to withstand loads without failing, and is dependent on its material composition, organization, and overall geometry. Loads can be applied in tension, compression, bending, torsion, shear, or a combination of these basic components. These loads cause internal tensile, compressive, and shear stresses on the bone. However, bone is a dynamic composite tissue that exhibits anisotropic and viscoelastic characteristics and will react differently to loads depending on its orientation and the rate at which the force is applied. When more energy is transferred to a bone than it can absorb, the bone will fracture. The type of fracture produced in the bone depends on the magnitude, direction, rate, and area of force applied and the structural and material properties of the bone at and near the location of the force.
Research Interests: Mathematics, Computer Science, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, and 13 moreBioarchaeology, Pragmatics, Skeletal Biology, Fuzzy set theory, Linguistics, Age Estimation Methods, Fuzzy Integral, Estimation, Skeleton, Accuracy, Fuzzy Set, Frequency selective surface, and Linguistic description
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For over twenty years, the young, male Homo erectus specimen KNM-WT 15000 has been the focus of studies on growth and development, locomotion, size, sexual dimorphism, skeletal morphology, and encephalization, often serving as the... more
For over twenty years, the young, male Homo erectus specimen KNM-WT 15000 has been the focus of studies on growth and development, locomotion, size, sexual dimorphism, skeletal morphology, and encephalization, often serving as the standard for his species. Prior research on KNM-WT 15000 operates under the assumption that H. erectus experienced a modern human life history, including an adolescent growth spurt. However, recent fossil discoveries, improvements in research methods, and new insights into modern human ontogeny suggest that this may not have been the case. In this study, we examine alternative life history trajectories in H. erectus to re-evaluate adult stature estimates for KNM-WT 15000. We constructed a series of hypothetical growth curves by modifying known human and chimpanzee curves, calculating intermediate growth velocities, and shifting the age of onset and completion of growth in stature. We recalculated adult stature for KNM-WT 15000 by increasing stature at death by the percentage of growth remaining in each curve. The curve that most closely matches the life history events experienced by KNM-WT 15000 prior to death indicates that growth in this specimen would have been completed by 12.3 years of age. These results suggest that KNM-WT 15000 would have experienced a growth spurt that had a lower peak velocity and shorter duration than the adolescent growth spurt in modern humans. As a result, it is likely that KNM-WT 15000 would have only attained an adult stature of 163 cm (∼ 5&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;4 ″), not 185 cm (∼ 6&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;1 ″) as previously reported. KNM-WT 15000&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s smaller stature has important implications for evolutionary scenarios involving early genus Homo.
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Human Evolution, Africa, and 15 moreAnthropometry, Human, Growth, Fossils, Animals, Growth and development, Cluster Analysis, Homo Erectus, Biological evolution, Adult, Hominidae, Body Height, Age of Onset, Growth Curve, and Age determination by skeleton
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Research Interests: Geography, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Forensic Science, and 15 moreBioarchaeology, Biology, Bone Mechanics, Medicine, Humans, Forensic Sciences, Femur, Female, Male, Environmental Variables, Clinical Sciences, Adult, Reproducibility of Results, European Continental Ancestry Group, and Reference Values
Femur subtrochanteric size and shape can be used to differentiate between adult Native Americans and American Blacks and Whites, but little is known about when shape differences are established during growth and development. Ontological... more
Femur subtrochanteric size and shape can be used to differentiate between adult Native Americans and American Blacks and Whites, but little is known about when shape differences are established during growth and development. Ontological changes in subtrochanteric shape were examined using 74 Native American and 61 American Black/White subadult femora. At birth, the proximal femur diaphysis is relatively circular in both groups. Between birth and 5 years, the diaphysis becomes more mediolaterally broad, especially in Native Americans, due to differential growth between the mediolateral and anteroposterior planes. This change may be due to biomechanical stresses associated with developing a mature gait pattern. After the age of 5, growth occurs more equally in the two planes and shape does not change significantly. The adult shape of the proximal femur is established by c. 5 years of age and can be used to discriminate between Native American and American Black/White femora in older subadults.
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Correspondence Commentary on: McBride DG, Dietz MJ, Vennemeyer MT, Meadors SA, Benfer RA, Furbee NL. Bootstrap methods for sex determination from the os coxae using the ID3 algorithm. J Forensic Sci 2001;46:424428. Sir: In a recent... more
Correspondence Commentary on: McBride DG, Dietz MJ, Vennemeyer MT, Meadors SA, Benfer RA, Furbee NL. Bootstrap methods for sex determination from the os coxae using the ID3 algorithm. J Forensic Sci 2001;46:424428. Sir: In a recent article in this journal, McBride ...
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Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, and 15 moreBioarchaeology, Death, Fuzzy Logic, Diet, Adolescent, Medicine, Humans, Fuzzy Integral, American, Middle Aged, Adult, European Continental Ancestry Group, Environment, Bone and Bones, and Age determination by skeleton
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our 2009 conference. With the support of my assistants, the program committee has put together an excellent program encompassing nearly 970 presentations. We tried to accommodate authors'... more
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our 2009 conference. With the support of my assistants, the program committee has put together an excellent program encompassing nearly 970 presentations. We tried to accommodate authors' preferences concerning presentation medium as much as possible. However, we gave higher priority to scientific cohesiveness of sessions, so that papers on similar topics were put in the same session. Indeed, some sessions are rather small because they contain a select number of paper ...
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Recent analyses suggest that KNM-WT 15000 experienced a pattern of growth and development intermediate between modern humans and chimpanzees, and therefore was nearing the end of his growth cycle at death. Consequently, he would have only... more
Recent analyses suggest that KNM-WT 15000 experienced a pattern of growth and development intermediate between modern humans and chimpanzees, and therefore was nearing the end of his growth cycle at death. Consequently, he would have only attained an adult stature of approximately 163 cm. Given the combination of decreased stature and an intermediate growth trajectory, it is logical that KNM-WT 15000 would have also attained a lower adult body mass than previously estimated.
In this study, we used reduced estimates of stature, age-at-death, and growth rates to re-estimate KNM-WT 15000’s adult body mass. We created hypothetical growth curves for KNM-WT 15000 using baseline chimpanzee and South African modern human growth curves. We used the software program Engauge® to generate numerical data for the baseline velocity curves, developed intermediate growth curves, and accelerated the schedule of life history events to create conceptual growth models for Homo erectus. We estimated juvenile body mass-at-death using new, wider estimates of living bi-iliac breadth for this specimen, and increased this value by the area remaining under the hypothetical growth curves to produce estimates of adult body mass.
Our results suggest KNM-WT 15000’s adult body mass would have ranged between 62.6 and 66.6 kg. Along with the new pelvic reconstructions, these figures suggest that KNM-WT 15000 would have been shorter, lighter and stockier as an adult than previously predicted, which has important implications for reconstructions of Homo erectus life history, energetics, and evolution.
In this study, we used reduced estimates of stature, age-at-death, and growth rates to re-estimate KNM-WT 15000’s adult body mass. We created hypothetical growth curves for KNM-WT 15000 using baseline chimpanzee and South African modern human growth curves. We used the software program Engauge® to generate numerical data for the baseline velocity curves, developed intermediate growth curves, and accelerated the schedule of life history events to create conceptual growth models for Homo erectus. We estimated juvenile body mass-at-death using new, wider estimates of living bi-iliac breadth for this specimen, and increased this value by the area remaining under the hypothetical growth curves to produce estimates of adult body mass.
Our results suggest KNM-WT 15000’s adult body mass would have ranged between 62.6 and 66.6 kg. Along with the new pelvic reconstructions, these figures suggest that KNM-WT 15000 would have been shorter, lighter and stockier as an adult than previously predicted, which has important implications for reconstructions of Homo erectus life history, energetics, and evolution.
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Knowing the relationship between pelvic and femur morphology is essential for understanding femoral developmental plasticity, sexual dimorphism, and morphological changes associated with habitual load levels. The purpose of this research... more
Knowing the relationship between pelvic and femur morphology is essential for understanding femoral developmental plasticity, sexual dimorphism, and morphological changes associated with habitual load levels. The purpose of this research project is to examine how pelvic dimensions influence the shape of the femur within a biomechanical framework in a modern American White population. Specifically the research examines the relationship between sex differences in biacetabular breadth and femoral functional angles. Sexual dimorphism in pelvic dimensions and femoral angles of 30 males and 30 females were analyzed using 3D landmarks and geometric morphometric techniques to provide a visual representation of overall shape change in the femur and pelvis between males and females. The Procrustes analysis revealed significant shape differences in epicondylar breadth, acetabular version, and iliac flare between males and females. Analysis of the data also showed significant sexual dimorphism in the biacetabular breadth, biomechanical neck length, femoral neck-shaft angle, femoral angle of version, and the bicondylar angle. Regression analysis showed significant relationships to exist between several variables, including biacetabular breadth, the neck-shaft angle, and the bicondylar angle. The findings also show that the neck-shaft angle and biomechanical neck length are correlated with the bicondylar dimensions. The research indicates that the femoral and pelvic morphological traits are multi-factorial and reflect biomechanical adaptations to varying dimensions among humans, which has applications for reconstructing modern and fossil human femoral plasticity and variation.
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Numerous researchers have conducted studies of human decomposition in various environments, but they seldom, if ever, separate autopsied and non-autopsied remains when performing analyses. Therefore it is necessary to test if the rate of... more
Numerous researchers have conducted studies of human decomposition in various environments, but they seldom, if ever, separate autopsied and non-autopsied remains when performing analyses. Therefore it is necessary to test if the rate of decomposition varies between autopsied and non-autopsied bodies in the same environment. This study compares the decomposition rates between autopsied and non-autopsied human remains in an outdoor central Texas environment in order to determine if using both types of remains in research protocols results in statistical skewness. The sample consists of 59 non-autopsied and 24 autopsied remains donated to the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) from 2010-2013. All remains were placed on the ground surface unclothed and in a supine position. The day each set of remains reached early, advanced, and mummified decomposition stages recorded and the number of accumulated degree-days between each stage was determined. T-tests show that there is no statistically significant difference between the decomposition rates of autopsied and non-autopsied remains at any stage of decomposition. No statistical skewness results from including autopsied and non-autopsied remains in human decomposition studies in this central Texas environment. Therefore, it is unnecessary to separate these two types of remains when studying human decomposition in the area.
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After attending this presentation, attendees will understand the expected trauma and distribution patterns associated with the reduction of human remains using a small commercial disc-type wood chipper applied to a porcine model. This... more
After attending this presentation, attendees will understand the expected trauma and distribution patterns associated with the reduction of human remains using a small commercial disc-type wood chipper applied to a porcine model. This information is important for the search, recovery, analysis, and contextual information in traumatic injury wood chipper cases.
This presentation will impact the forensic science community by providing basic guidelines for the skeletal and integumentary trauma patterns of tissues subjected to wood chipper trauma. It will also provide expected distribution patterns of remains that will help crime scene investigators, law enforcement, and forensic anthropologists recover the maximum amount of hard and soft tissues possible. This study also outlines the possible ease of human-enacted and natural methods of concealment. In addition, this study illustrates the different trauma patterns expected for the axial versus appendicular skeleton placed into a wood chipper, including size ranges.
While the use of wood chippers as tools for human remains reduction is uncommon, these machines have been used in past to conceal homicides. Some cases are still under investigation today and the expansion of knowledge regarding wood chipper reduction could expedite the process of remains recovery and analysis.
The authors will present an account of experimental wood chipper trauma and the results regarding expected fragment size in axial versus appendicular bone and skin, the distribution pattern of remains, and microscopic as well as macroscopic skeletal trauma patterns.
This presentation will impact the forensic science community by providing basic guidelines for the skeletal and integumentary trauma patterns of tissues subjected to wood chipper trauma. It will also provide expected distribution patterns of remains that will help crime scene investigators, law enforcement, and forensic anthropologists recover the maximum amount of hard and soft tissues possible. This study also outlines the possible ease of human-enacted and natural methods of concealment. In addition, this study illustrates the different trauma patterns expected for the axial versus appendicular skeleton placed into a wood chipper, including size ranges.
While the use of wood chippers as tools for human remains reduction is uncommon, these machines have been used in past to conceal homicides. Some cases are still under investigation today and the expansion of knowledge regarding wood chipper reduction could expedite the process of remains recovery and analysis.
The authors will present an account of experimental wood chipper trauma and the results regarding expected fragment size in axial versus appendicular bone and skin, the distribution pattern of remains, and microscopic as well as macroscopic skeletal trauma patterns.
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Objective: After attending this presentation, attendees will understand some principles of age estimation using dental and skeletal methods. This presentation will impact the forensic community by illustrating the relative accuracy and... more
Objective: After attending this presentation, attendees will understand some principles of age estimation using
dental and skeletal methods. This presentation will impact the forensic community by illustrating the relative
accuracy and use of various age estimation techniques.
Introduction: Age at death estimation for sub-adults is often done using dental methods because dental
development is very regular and is under fairly tight genetic regulation. The appearance and union of epiphyses also
are useful in the morphological assessment of age at death estimation using existing reference standards. The
purpose of this case report is to document the biological age at death of five sub-adult individuals from a 19th
century cemetery whose graves were exposed by flooding. Both dental age estimations and skeletal evaluation were
used to assess the agreement of methods.
Methods: It was determined that four individuals fell into the category of adolescent (12-20 years of age), and
one could be classified as a child (3-12 years of age) on the basis of physical evaluation and review of dental
radiographs. All individuals had a diagnostic full-mouth series of radiographs for dental evaluation. The adolescents
all showed evidence of eruption of permanent teeth with developing third molars. The child was in a mixed dentition
stage of development. The dental age was estimated for each case using atlas approaches (Ubelaker, 1989;
AlQahtani, 2010). The adolescent cases were analyzed using the UT-Age Estimation Database, based on third molar
development stages. The child case was evaluated using age approaches as described by Moorrees et al (1963) and
Demirjian et al (1973). The stage of union for epiphyseal fusion and primary ossification centers was recorded on a
standard form, and age was estimated using standard data from reference data sets.
Examination of the adolescent cases all indicated that each individual except one was female based on os coxae
criteria. The undetermined adolescent case and the child appeared to be too immature to make sex estimation. UTAge
tests for the adolescent cases were run using sex as female for the three cases, and the undetermined sex case
was run as both male and female. Ancestry was set as African (Black) for all cases.
Results: All adolescent cases were found to be approximately 15 years of age using dental techniques, and the
child had a median range of 7yrs/9months – 9yrs/3months for female and 8yrs/2months – 9yrs/4months for male
using dental techniques. The skeletal techniques gave estimates of 15-20 years for three of the adolescents, and 10-
15 for the one with immature sexual differentiation. The child skeletal estimate was 5-10 years.
Discussion: There is generally good correlation between dental and skeletal age at death estimations within the
scope of each method with significant overlap in estimation intervals. The UT-Age technique gave results that may
be considered more precise and accurate when compared to other techniques because this technique is based on an
individualized statistical interpretation of development with a median expression of age and 95% confidence
intervals. The analysis of the child with the mixed dentition gave results that are all consistent with each other. The
internal consistency between all techniques indicates that a good indication of biological age has been achieved.
Conclusions: 1. A variety of dental and skeletal age at death estimations for sub-adult individuals are consistent
with each other within the limitations of each technique. 2. The UT-Age third molar assessment for adolescents
gives the most precise and accurate age estimate when applicable.
AlQahtani, S.J., Hector, M.P., Liversidge, H.M. (2010) Brief communication: The London atlas of human tooth
development and eruption. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 142: 481-490.
Demirjian, A., Goldstein, H., Tanner, J.M. (1973). A new system of dental age assessment. Human Biology 45:
211-227.
Lewis, J.M., Senn, D.R. (2013). Dental Age Estimation. In Manual of Forensic Odontology 5th Ed. Florida: CRC
Press, p 211-255.
Moorrees, C.F.A., Fanning, E.A., Hunt, E.E. (1963). Age variation of formation stages for ten permanent teeth.
Journal of Dental Research 42:1490-1502.
Ubelaker, D.H. (1989). Figure 71. Human Skeletal Remains. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Taraxacum Press.
Key words: Age estimation, adolescent, child
dental and skeletal methods. This presentation will impact the forensic community by illustrating the relative
accuracy and use of various age estimation techniques.
Introduction: Age at death estimation for sub-adults is often done using dental methods because dental
development is very regular and is under fairly tight genetic regulation. The appearance and union of epiphyses also
are useful in the morphological assessment of age at death estimation using existing reference standards. The
purpose of this case report is to document the biological age at death of five sub-adult individuals from a 19th
century cemetery whose graves were exposed by flooding. Both dental age estimations and skeletal evaluation were
used to assess the agreement of methods.
Methods: It was determined that four individuals fell into the category of adolescent (12-20 years of age), and
one could be classified as a child (3-12 years of age) on the basis of physical evaluation and review of dental
radiographs. All individuals had a diagnostic full-mouth series of radiographs for dental evaluation. The adolescents
all showed evidence of eruption of permanent teeth with developing third molars. The child was in a mixed dentition
stage of development. The dental age was estimated for each case using atlas approaches (Ubelaker, 1989;
AlQahtani, 2010). The adolescent cases were analyzed using the UT-Age Estimation Database, based on third molar
development stages. The child case was evaluated using age approaches as described by Moorrees et al (1963) and
Demirjian et al (1973). The stage of union for epiphyseal fusion and primary ossification centers was recorded on a
standard form, and age was estimated using standard data from reference data sets.
Examination of the adolescent cases all indicated that each individual except one was female based on os coxae
criteria. The undetermined adolescent case and the child appeared to be too immature to make sex estimation. UTAge
tests for the adolescent cases were run using sex as female for the three cases, and the undetermined sex case
was run as both male and female. Ancestry was set as African (Black) for all cases.
Results: All adolescent cases were found to be approximately 15 years of age using dental techniques, and the
child had a median range of 7yrs/9months – 9yrs/3months for female and 8yrs/2months – 9yrs/4months for male
using dental techniques. The skeletal techniques gave estimates of 15-20 years for three of the adolescents, and 10-
15 for the one with immature sexual differentiation. The child skeletal estimate was 5-10 years.
Discussion: There is generally good correlation between dental and skeletal age at death estimations within the
scope of each method with significant overlap in estimation intervals. The UT-Age technique gave results that may
be considered more precise and accurate when compared to other techniques because this technique is based on an
individualized statistical interpretation of development with a median expression of age and 95% confidence
intervals. The analysis of the child with the mixed dentition gave results that are all consistent with each other. The
internal consistency between all techniques indicates that a good indication of biological age has been achieved.
Conclusions: 1. A variety of dental and skeletal age at death estimations for sub-adult individuals are consistent
with each other within the limitations of each technique. 2. The UT-Age third molar assessment for adolescents
gives the most precise and accurate age estimate when applicable.
AlQahtani, S.J., Hector, M.P., Liversidge, H.M. (2010) Brief communication: The London atlas of human tooth
development and eruption. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 142: 481-490.
Demirjian, A., Goldstein, H., Tanner, J.M. (1973). A new system of dental age assessment. Human Biology 45:
211-227.
Lewis, J.M., Senn, D.R. (2013). Dental Age Estimation. In Manual of Forensic Odontology 5th Ed. Florida: CRC
Press, p 211-255.
Moorrees, C.F.A., Fanning, E.A., Hunt, E.E. (1963). Age variation of formation stages for ten permanent teeth.
Journal of Dental Research 42:1490-1502.
Ubelaker, D.H. (1989). Figure 71. Human Skeletal Remains. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Taraxacum Press.
Key words: Age estimation, adolescent, child
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The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) established a willed body donation program and an outdoor research facility in April 2008. Both the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) and the Texas State Donated... more
The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS) established a willed body donation program and an outdoor research facility in April 2008. Both the Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) and the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection are available for research use by both national and international scholars. The mission of FACTS is to advance forensic science and anthropology through world-class education, research, and outreach. FACTS will 1) provide the highest quality education and training for students and professional scientists in forensic anthropology; 2) provide training and certification for the medicolegal community, 3) assist national and international scholars from numerous forensic science disciplines in conducting quality scientific research that will benefit the medicolegal community, 4) facilitate interdisciplinary research and study, including providing state of the art facilities and collections for research, that advances forensic anthropology and other forensic sciences, 5) disseminate research in forensic anthropology through peer-reviewed conference proceedings and professional journals, 6) provide technical and scientific expertise and services to law enforcement, the medicolegal community, and the general public, and 7) build local, national, and international partnerships with law enforcement agencies, laboratories, and research institutes to advance knowledge in forensic anthropology and other forensic sciences that deal with skeletal and decomposing bodies.
The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility is a large outdoor forensic decomposition facility, with 26 acres available for use on the Freeman Ranch. The decomposition facility provides opportunities for researchers to conduct studies that increase the understanding of variables affecting decomposition in climates similar to south central Texas. Longitudinal decomposition data for both human and non-human subjects are currently being collected. In addition, FARF is currently host to several national and international research projects covering the fields of anthropology, entomology, geography, molecular biology, and pathology. Accessibility to a weather station on the Freeman Ranch facilitates collection of weather and environmental data that assists researchers in outdoor studies. Approval for use of FARF requires submission of a research proposal and approval from the Director of FACTS.
The Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection is a growing modern skeletal collection consisting of permanently accessioned donated human remains from FARF research. Although a young center, FACTS has been quickly growing. Anatomical donations per year have risen from 3 donations in 2008 to 15 donations in 2010. As of July 2011, FACTS has already received 12 donors for the year. To date, there are 78 living donors on file that have willed their bodies to FACTS. The Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection currently has 37 accessioned donors, both males and females, ranging in age from 32-91 years, of Black, White, and Hispanic ancestry available for research. Collaboration with other research institutions is an important aspect of FACTS; therefore FACTS has developed policies and data collection protocols that allow researchers to utilize the FACTS collection in conjunction with other similar research facilities and standard osteological databases. The required paperwork for donation includes the basic biological profile, geohistory data, facial photographs, brief medical history, and life history. The data collected by FACTS prior to each donation are available to researchers and national databases. Approval for use of the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection requires submission of a research proposal and approval from the Director of FACTS.
In addition to collaboration with other decomposition research facilities, FACTS also works with local law enforcement, FBI, and Texas Extension and Engineering Services (TEEX) offering educational lectures and workshops. The opening of a new multipurpose building located on Freeman Ranch will facilitate future workshops designed for the forensic education of graduate students and professionals.
The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State has immense research and outreach potential as a resource for the medicolegal and forensic science communities. It is important that researchers are aware of the resources available at FACTS and are encouraged to apply for use of the outdoor decomposition facility and/or the skeletal collection.
The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility is a large outdoor forensic decomposition facility, with 26 acres available for use on the Freeman Ranch. The decomposition facility provides opportunities for researchers to conduct studies that increase the understanding of variables affecting decomposition in climates similar to south central Texas. Longitudinal decomposition data for both human and non-human subjects are currently being collected. In addition, FARF is currently host to several national and international research projects covering the fields of anthropology, entomology, geography, molecular biology, and pathology. Accessibility to a weather station on the Freeman Ranch facilitates collection of weather and environmental data that assists researchers in outdoor studies. Approval for use of FARF requires submission of a research proposal and approval from the Director of FACTS.
The Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection is a growing modern skeletal collection consisting of permanently accessioned donated human remains from FARF research. Although a young center, FACTS has been quickly growing. Anatomical donations per year have risen from 3 donations in 2008 to 15 donations in 2010. As of July 2011, FACTS has already received 12 donors for the year. To date, there are 78 living donors on file that have willed their bodies to FACTS. The Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection currently has 37 accessioned donors, both males and females, ranging in age from 32-91 years, of Black, White, and Hispanic ancestry available for research. Collaboration with other research institutions is an important aspect of FACTS; therefore FACTS has developed policies and data collection protocols that allow researchers to utilize the FACTS collection in conjunction with other similar research facilities and standard osteological databases. The required paperwork for donation includes the basic biological profile, geohistory data, facial photographs, brief medical history, and life history. The data collected by FACTS prior to each donation are available to researchers and national databases. Approval for use of the Texas State Donated Skeletal Collection requires submission of a research proposal and approval from the Director of FACTS.
In addition to collaboration with other decomposition research facilities, FACTS also works with local law enforcement, FBI, and Texas Extension and Engineering Services (TEEX) offering educational lectures and workshops. The opening of a new multipurpose building located on Freeman Ranch will facilitate future workshops designed for the forensic education of graduate students and professionals.
The Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State has immense research and outreach potential as a resource for the medicolegal and forensic science communities. It is important that researchers are aware of the resources available at FACTS and are encouraged to apply for use of the outdoor decomposition facility and/or the skeletal collection.
Research Interests:
"Age-progressive stages or macromorphological changes of the auricular surface of the ilium and symphyseal face of the pubic bone are commonly examined by forensic anthropologists to estimate adult age-at-death from skeletal remains.... more
"Age-progressive stages or macromorphological changes of the auricular surface of the ilium and symphyseal face of the pubic bone are commonly examined by forensic anthropologists to estimate adult age-at-death from skeletal remains. However, individual rates of progression through these stages can vary considerably depending on life history events such as diet, disease, physical activity, and body mass. Since the sacroiliac and pubic symphysis are weight-bearing joints, it is likely that the rate of progression through age-related stages is influenced by body mass, especially obesity. To date, no study has examined the effects of body mass on the progression of age-related morphological changes in the pubic symphysis or auricular surface. Since 1990, adult obesity rates have been dramatically increasing. As the number of obese individuals increase, so will the representation of obesity in forensic cases. Therefore, it is vital that forensic anthropologists know whether obesity affects the rate of progression through the stages of pubic symphysis and auricular surface. This study investigates if obesity effects the age-related progression of morphology in the auricular surfaces and pubic symphyseal faces, and how these modifications affects the accuracy and precision of age-at-death estimates. In addition, sexual dimorphism in age-related changes was examined. It is hypothesized that obesity causes acceleration in degenerative age-related changes in these two anatomical regions, especially the auricular surface, and therefore the inaccuracy of age-at-death estimations will be greater in obese individuals compared to those with a normal body weight for stature.
The hip bones of 245 adults (23-90 years of age) of known age, sex, stature, and body weight from the William M. Bass Donated Collection were used in the study. Specimens with gross pathological anomalies of the pelvis or lower limb were not used. BMI was calculated for each individual by dividing recorded body weight in kilograms by stature in meters squared. Age-related stages were scored on the hip bones of 119 adults of normal body mass (BMI between 19 and 25) and 126 obese (BMI ≥ 30) adults using the Suchey-Brooks method for the pubic symphysis and the Buckberry-Chamberlain method for the auricular surface. In some analyses the obese sample was subdivided into obese (BMI 30 to 39) and morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40). In addition to the overall progression through the age-related stages, specific traits (transverse organization, surface texture, microporosity, macroporosity, and apical lipping) were scored for each auricular surface to reveal which of these features, if any, are affected by obesity. The accuracy of each method was calculated by subtracting the actual age from the mean and median age of the stage for the pubic symphysis and auricular surface, respectively. The correlation between actual age and the estimated age was calculated for both obese and normal body massed individuals using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Bias was calculated to determine the under- and over-aging results for the different age groups of each population, while inaccuracy is the average absolute error of age without reference to under- or under- age prediction.
As expected, the degree of bias and inaccuracy generally increases with age using both methods regardless of BMI. However, young obese individuals exhibit greater inaccuracy in age-at-death estimations using the auricular surface, but not the pubic symphysis compared to individuals with a normal BMI. This is probably due to the greater weight-bearing function of the sacroiliac joint and postural changes during locomotion in obese individuals. In addition, age was estimated with less precision in obese individuals compared to normal weight individuals for both methods. Obese males show greater inaccuracy than obese females. There was also a greater tendency of over-age morbidly obese compared to obese individuals. Morbidly obese individuals also exhibited greater inaccuracy than either normal or obese BMI individuals. The specific characteristics all follow the same general pattern of onset regardless of BMI.
This study helps to elucidate how obesity affects the rate of age-related skeletal change of the human pelvis. The results indicate that the pubic symphysis method is preferred when estimating age in obese individuals, especially males. However, the results also indicate that forensic anthropologists should use caution when assessing age-at-death from the skeletons obese individuals using either auricular surface or pubic symphysis methods. "
The hip bones of 245 adults (23-90 years of age) of known age, sex, stature, and body weight from the William M. Bass Donated Collection were used in the study. Specimens with gross pathological anomalies of the pelvis or lower limb were not used. BMI was calculated for each individual by dividing recorded body weight in kilograms by stature in meters squared. Age-related stages were scored on the hip bones of 119 adults of normal body mass (BMI between 19 and 25) and 126 obese (BMI ≥ 30) adults using the Suchey-Brooks method for the pubic symphysis and the Buckberry-Chamberlain method for the auricular surface. In some analyses the obese sample was subdivided into obese (BMI 30 to 39) and morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40). In addition to the overall progression through the age-related stages, specific traits (transverse organization, surface texture, microporosity, macroporosity, and apical lipping) were scored for each auricular surface to reveal which of these features, if any, are affected by obesity. The accuracy of each method was calculated by subtracting the actual age from the mean and median age of the stage for the pubic symphysis and auricular surface, respectively. The correlation between actual age and the estimated age was calculated for both obese and normal body massed individuals using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Bias was calculated to determine the under- and over-aging results for the different age groups of each population, while inaccuracy is the average absolute error of age without reference to under- or under- age prediction.
As expected, the degree of bias and inaccuracy generally increases with age using both methods regardless of BMI. However, young obese individuals exhibit greater inaccuracy in age-at-death estimations using the auricular surface, but not the pubic symphysis compared to individuals with a normal BMI. This is probably due to the greater weight-bearing function of the sacroiliac joint and postural changes during locomotion in obese individuals. In addition, age was estimated with less precision in obese individuals compared to normal weight individuals for both methods. Obese males show greater inaccuracy than obese females. There was also a greater tendency of over-age morbidly obese compared to obese individuals. Morbidly obese individuals also exhibited greater inaccuracy than either normal or obese BMI individuals. The specific characteristics all follow the same general pattern of onset regardless of BMI.
This study helps to elucidate how obesity affects the rate of age-related skeletal change of the human pelvis. The results indicate that the pubic symphysis method is preferred when estimating age in obese individuals, especially males. However, the results also indicate that forensic anthropologists should use caution when assessing age-at-death from the skeletons obese individuals using either auricular surface or pubic symphysis methods. "
Research Interests:
"Accurate and precise estimations of chronological age-at-death based on skeletal remains are vital in forensic anthropological analyses to help narrow the search of potential missing persons and to aid in the identification of the... more
"Accurate and precise estimations of chronological age-at-death based on skeletal remains are vital in forensic anthropological analyses to help narrow the search of potential missing persons and to aid in the identification of the skeleton. Combining multiple indicators of biological age (multifactorial method) from different regions of the skeleton provide a more accurate estimation of chronological age than using any single indicator. However, most currently published multi-factorial methods are not appropriate for forensic anthropology because they cannot be applied to a single skeleton, do not provide a confidence in the point estimate or prediction interval, or are restricted to a certain types of age indicators. Currently there are no “best practice” guidelines in forensic anthropology for combining multiple indicators of age. As a result, forensic anthropologists frequently develop their own guidelines for combining multiple indicators, often based on their past experience and the skeletal remains present for a specific case. A standardized method for combining multiple indicators of age from a skeleton into a single, accurate, and repeatable age-at-death estimation is needed in forensic anthropology.
We present a novel multifactorial approach that uses the Sugeno fuzzy integral to analyze skeletal age and takes into account as much information as possible, including the accuracy of the method and the quality of the bone, to reach a decision about a hypothesis. Fuzzy integral acquired fuzzy sets are then used to provide results about the age-at-death estimation that are reproducible and can be understood by different scientists. Using this approach, forensic anthropologists obtain an age-at-death estimation, a measure of the confidence in the estimation, and additional results (numeric, graphical, and linguistic) regarding the type of graph and degree of specificity of the age-at-death estimation. This method has multiple advantages over other multifactorial methods. The procedure allows investigators to use nearly any well established and tested age-at-death indicator methods and fuse the information about the accuracy of the methods with other types of quantifiable information that cause uncertainty in the age-at-death estimation. No other method allows for the fusion of additional information such as the quality of the bone, the appropriateness of the method for the target age group, or inter-observer error in the methods used. Other advantages of the fuzzy integral method are that it does not require the use of a population so it can be easily used for a single skeleton, it can be used for both adult and immature skeletons, it can be customized to meet the investigator’s needs on specific cases, and it provides informative graphs and a standardized reproducible way to generate linguistic descriptions of age-at-death estimations.
To demonstrate the use of the fuzzy integral method, we apply it to three aging methods commonly used by forensic anthropologists (pubic symphysis, auricular surface, and cranial suture closure) on a known-age skeletal sample from the Terry Anatomical Collection. We show that the fuzzy integral method produces results that are more accurate with smaller intervals than single indicator methods. Unlike other multi-factorial methods, the fuzzy integral approach allows investigators to estimate age-at-death for a single skeleton by applying the well-established age methods they are comfortable using and that are available to them based on the bones present, the condition of the bones, and the equipment they have accessible. Furthermore, unlike other methods, the fuzzy integral method allows the investigator to incorporate additional information about the quality of the bone or any other quantifiable variable about the uncertainty of the method.
"
We present a novel multifactorial approach that uses the Sugeno fuzzy integral to analyze skeletal age and takes into account as much information as possible, including the accuracy of the method and the quality of the bone, to reach a decision about a hypothesis. Fuzzy integral acquired fuzzy sets are then used to provide results about the age-at-death estimation that are reproducible and can be understood by different scientists. Using this approach, forensic anthropologists obtain an age-at-death estimation, a measure of the confidence in the estimation, and additional results (numeric, graphical, and linguistic) regarding the type of graph and degree of specificity of the age-at-death estimation. This method has multiple advantages over other multifactorial methods. The procedure allows investigators to use nearly any well established and tested age-at-death indicator methods and fuse the information about the accuracy of the methods with other types of quantifiable information that cause uncertainty in the age-at-death estimation. No other method allows for the fusion of additional information such as the quality of the bone, the appropriateness of the method for the target age group, or inter-observer error in the methods used. Other advantages of the fuzzy integral method are that it does not require the use of a population so it can be easily used for a single skeleton, it can be used for both adult and immature skeletons, it can be customized to meet the investigator’s needs on specific cases, and it provides informative graphs and a standardized reproducible way to generate linguistic descriptions of age-at-death estimations.
To demonstrate the use of the fuzzy integral method, we apply it to three aging methods commonly used by forensic anthropologists (pubic symphysis, auricular surface, and cranial suture closure) on a known-age skeletal sample from the Terry Anatomical Collection. We show that the fuzzy integral method produces results that are more accurate with smaller intervals than single indicator methods. Unlike other multi-factorial methods, the fuzzy integral approach allows investigators to estimate age-at-death for a single skeleton by applying the well-established age methods they are comfortable using and that are available to them based on the bones present, the condition of the bones, and the equipment they have accessible. Furthermore, unlike other methods, the fuzzy integral method allows the investigator to incorporate additional information about the quality of the bone or any other quantifiable variable about the uncertainty of the method.
"
Research Interests:
"Recent analyses of body mass and encephalization quotient (EQ) find that EQ is similar in early Homo erectus and australopiths, and either remains fairly low or increases greatly throughout the Middle Pleistocene. Differences in sample... more
"Recent analyses of body mass and encephalization quotient (EQ) find that EQ is similar in early Homo erectus and australopiths, and either remains fairly low or increases greatly throughout the Middle Pleistocene. Differences in sample composition and methods make choosing between these conflicting interpretations problematic. In this study, we assemble a large dataset of hominin cranial capacities and body masses in order to assess the tempo and mode of EQ change through time. We calculated EQ for specimens with associated crania and postcrania (EQ1); and for species, using associated (EQ2) and unassociated (EQ3) crania and postcrania, and crania only (EQ4). This study design allowed us to test the effect of different methods and sample composition on EQ. In addition, we used hypothetical growth curves to increase body mass values for key juvenile specimens from Malapa, Dmanisi and West Turkana. New EQ estimates for Dmanisi D2700 and KNM-WT 15000 allow us to reject the hypothesis that EQ does not differ between australopiths and early H. erectus. Systematic differences between EQ estimates calculated in different ways suggest that EQ in Middle Pleistocene Homo has been both under- and overestimated in the recent literature. EQ increases in a step-like fashion in australopiths, early H. erectus, archaic Homo, and Neanderthals and H. sapiens. With the possible exception of H. erectus, EQ seems to remain static within species over long time periods. These results underscore the mosaic nature of brain
and body evolution in Pleistocene Homo."
and body evolution in Pleistocene Homo."
Research Interests:
"Secular changes in skeletal morphology have the potential to impact the validity of methods used to develop an accurate biological profile and interpret activity patterns. This study examines secular changes in femur morphology of modern... more
"Secular changes in skeletal morphology have the potential to impact the validity of methods used to develop an accurate biological profile and interpret activity patterns. This study examines secular changes in femur morphology of modern Americans using measurements from 962 adults with birthdates ranging from the 1840s to the 1990s. Regression analysis was used to examine the correlations and partial correlations between variables.
Results indicate that the femur has increased in length, decreased in robusticity, and the midshaft diaphyseal shape has changed from relatively circular to anteroposteriorly (AP) elongated due to a decrease in the mediolateral (ML) dimension. Femur head diameter, midshaft AP diameter, and subtrochanteric shape have not changed significantly. Nonsiginficant interactions between age and the diaphyseal variables indicate that age related expansion of the diaphysis is not the cause for the observed changes.
The femur morphology of modern Americans reflects the combination of changes in stature, body build, and activity levels that have taken place over the past one and a half centuries. There is a complex relationship between the diaphysis, total femur structure, and mechanical loading, with ML dimensions of the femoral midshaft being more sensitive to the level of mechanical loading than the AP dimension in Americans. Since most methods for estimating biological characteristics from the femur are based on nineteenth century skeletal collections, it is crucial that anthropologists understand how these secular changes may affect the interpretation of sex, stature, ancestry, and activity patterns in modern Americans."
Results indicate that the femur has increased in length, decreased in robusticity, and the midshaft diaphyseal shape has changed from relatively circular to anteroposteriorly (AP) elongated due to a decrease in the mediolateral (ML) dimension. Femur head diameter, midshaft AP diameter, and subtrochanteric shape have not changed significantly. Nonsiginficant interactions between age and the diaphyseal variables indicate that age related expansion of the diaphysis is not the cause for the observed changes.
The femur morphology of modern Americans reflects the combination of changes in stature, body build, and activity levels that have taken place over the past one and a half centuries. There is a complex relationship between the diaphysis, total femur structure, and mechanical loading, with ML dimensions of the femoral midshaft being more sensitive to the level of mechanical loading than the AP dimension in Americans. Since most methods for estimating biological characteristics from the femur are based on nineteenth century skeletal collections, it is crucial that anthropologists understand how these secular changes may affect the interpretation of sex, stature, ancestry, and activity patterns in modern Americans."
Research Interests:
Femur diaphyseal shape is commonly used to interpret levels of terrestrial logistic mobility (TLM) in human populations. However, since femoral shape is not size standardized, variation in it can be influenced by activity (including TLM),... more
Femur diaphyseal shape is commonly used to interpret levels of terrestrial logistic mobility (TLM) in human populations. However, since femoral shape is not size standardized, variation in it can be influenced by activity (including TLM), differences in body physique (especially body breadth), growth and development patterns, terrain type, and other factors. Therefore, similarly shaped femora can occur in populations with different levels of TLM. In this study, I investigate the influence of habitual activity, body size, and growth and development patterns on femoral shape. I do this by examining temporal trends in Native American and modern US populations, comparing diaphyseal shape between mobile and immobile individuals, and examining patterns of growth and development in femoral shape using American populations. I also investigate if using multiple biomechanical properties and multiple bones can provide a clearer picture of the pattern of activity obtained from long bone morphology. Results indicate that femoral shape is established early in life, femoral ML (but not AP) bending strength is influenced by lean body mass and body breadth, reduced mobility primarily affects ML strength, and the use of multiple properties provides a more realistic pattern of habitual activity. Examples from Native American populations and individuals such as Kennewick Man are provided to demonstrate the advantage of using multivariate analyses. While the assessment of variation in femoral shape is a valuable tool for reconstructing mobility, investigators should consider standardizing by body breadth, using multiple biomechanical properties, and examining multiple bones when interpreting mobility from long bone morphology.
Research Interests:
Cross-sectional properties of femoral and humeral diaphyses among Late/Final Jomon people from the Yoshigo site (4000-3400 BP) are reported. Comparative samples include prehistoric foragers from Alaska (open-ocean rowing), California... more
Cross-sectional properties of femoral and humeral diaphyses among Late/Final Jomon people from the Yoshigo site (4000-3400 BP) are reported. Comparative samples include prehistoric foragers from Alaska (open-ocean rowing), California (river rowing), and Georgia (river rowing). All measurements were size-standardized and compared using MANOVA with Tukey’s HSD test (P < .05). Jomon males have significantly smaller femoral MA values than Alaskan foragers, larger humeral CA, TA, Iy, and J compared to all other foragers, and greater MA and Ix values than foragers from Georgia and California. Humeral diaphyseal shape differs between Jomon and Alaskan males, with Jomon males having more circular diaphyses. Jomon females have significantly larger femoral CA and MA compared to Alaskan foragers, and significantly greater humeral CA, TA, Ix, Iy, and J than other foragers used for comparison. Diaphyseal shape (Ix/Iy) is also significantly greater in Jomon females compared to females from California and Georgia. The results show that Jomon males do not differ greatly from Alaskan males in femur rigidity or shape, but Jomon females have greater femoral torsional rigidity and medullary area compared females from Alaska. However, Jomon humeral diaphyses are more circular and have greater compressive/tensile strength and bending rigidity compared to open-ocean and river rowing groups. These trends reflect variation in directionality, frequency, and intensity of mechanical loading, likely stemming from differences in resource procurement activities.
Research Interests:
In 1993, Shiloh Methodist Church Cemetery excavations yielded burials in three rows, one row perpendicular to the others. Exhumed from this row were 11 young, African-Americans Their position in the cemetery could indicate something... more
In 1993, Shiloh Methodist Church Cemetery excavations yielded burials in three rows, one row perpendicular to the others. Exhumed from this row were 11 young, African-Americans Their position in the cemetery could indicate something about their status or the circumstances of their deaths or their status. It is hypothesized that these individuals perhaps died from one of the epidemics known to have swept across Missouri during the 1800’s.
Few methods to determine the exact year in which a historical burial took place are available, but dental cementum increment analysis at least has the potential to indicate whether all of the Shiloh individuals died within the same season. For this study, one tooth from each of the 11 burials was embedded in Buehler EpoKwik Resin under vacuum pressurea. The embedded teeth were then section ned with a Buehler low speed saw to create 300 micron thick wafers. The wafers were each mounted to a petrographic glass slide and ground to a thickness of 100 microns, polished, and viewed under an Olympus BX-41 transmitted polarized light microscope. Digital micrographs were captured using an Olympus DP70 digital camera. The outermost cementum was recorded for a majority of the teeth. The viable teeth all exhibited the same type of outer increment – a light band, indicating a spring/summer death.
Few methods to determine the exact year in which a historical burial took place are available, but dental cementum increment analysis at least has the potential to indicate whether all of the Shiloh individuals died within the same season. For this study, one tooth from each of the 11 burials was embedded in Buehler EpoKwik Resin under vacuum pressurea. The embedded teeth were then section ned with a Buehler low speed saw to create 300 micron thick wafers. The wafers were each mounted to a petrographic glass slide and ground to a thickness of 100 microns, polished, and viewed under an Olympus BX-41 transmitted polarized light microscope. Digital micrographs were captured using an Olympus DP70 digital camera. The outermost cementum was recorded for a majority of the teeth. The viable teeth all exhibited the same type of outer increment – a light band, indicating a spring/summer death.
Research Interests:
Subsistence, mobility, and other behaviors of the early Holocene inhabitants of North America can be reconstructed using long bone morphology, as biomechanical properties of human long bones provide valuable evidence for reconstructing... more
Subsistence, mobility, and other behaviors of the early Holocene inhabitants of North America can be reconstructed using long bone morphology, as biomechanical properties of human long bones provide valuable evidence for reconstructing past activity patterns of individuals and populations. The biomechanical evidence can then be combined with archaeological and other biological information to obtain a clearer view of the lifestyle of Paleoamericans. These early Holocene Americans are characterized as having great terrestrial mobility and a high dependence on megafauna, but little is known about regional variation in subsistence activities among these early inhabitants of America. Biomechanical properties of early Holocene skeletons from Kennewick, Horn Shelter, Wizard’s Beach, Spirit Cave, Prospect, and Gore Creek were calculated. The strength, shape and asymmetry of both upper and lower limb bones was examined and compared among Paleoamericans and other Holocene populations practicing a variety of subsistence practices. The Paleoamericans are similar in having relatively strong lower limbs and asymmetrical upper limbs, a pattern also shared by populations reliant on inland resources. Unique patterns of long bone strength and asymmetry, however, probably reflect regional variation in the way these early Americans exploited local environments. This study demonstrates the importance of using biomechanical data from human skeletal remains to obtain a clearer picture of the lifeways of early Holocene inhabitants of North America.
Research Interests:
Just how strapping was KNM-WT 15000? Previous estimates suggest that Nariokotome Boy would have attained an adult stature of 185 cm (~6’1”) and body mass of 68 kg (~150 lbs). These adult estimates were based on modern human models that... more
Just how strapping was KNM-WT 15000? Previous estimates suggest that Nariokotome Boy would have attained an adult stature of 185 cm (~6’1”) and body mass of 68 kg (~150 lbs). These adult estimates were based on modern human models that incorporated a long, extended period of growth and a fully-developed adolescent growth spurt. However, recent fossil discoveries, improved research methods, and new insights into human and non-human primate ontogeny suggest that KNM-WT 15000 matured faster than a modern human, calling into question previous estimates of adult size. To reassess adult stature and body mass in KNM-WT 15000, we modified chimpanzee and modern human growth curves to create a number of hypothetical H. erectus velocity curves. We calculated the amount of growth remaining at death using these curves, and increased juvenile stature and body mass estimates accordingly. The curves that most accurately match the series of events in KNM-WT 15000’s life history produced estimates both shorter (163 cm, ~5’4”) and smaller (56 kg, ~123 lbs) than previously calculated. Bootstrap analyses confirm that our new estimates reduce the range of variation in H. erectus, so that Nariokotome Boy may have been strapping as a youth, but his estimated adult size falls in line with other H. erectus specimens. The implications of these new estimates for interpretations of encephalization, physiology, growth and development, behavior and sexual dimorphism in H. erectus change our understanding of the transition from australopiths to later Homo.
Research Interests:
Auricular surface elevation and post-auricular sulcus are osteological indicators for determining sex that are presented in numerous standard skeletal biology reference books. However, no known study has examined the accuracy of the... more
Auricular surface elevation and post-auricular sulcus are osteological indicators for determining sex that are presented in numerous standard skeletal biology reference books. However, no known study has examined the accuracy of the auricular surface elevation for estimating sex in adults, and only one small study has tested the post-auricular sulcus. In this study, the validity of using these characteristics as indicators of sex in adult skeletal remains was tested three ways: 1) overall success rate of the method, 2) probability of correctly sexing an individual using only the auricular surface morphology, and 3) testing the repeatability of the method. The ilia of 150 adults of known sex were examined and the auricular surface was scored as completely elevated, partially elevated, or not elevated. In addition the presence or absence of a post-auricular sulcus was scored. Complete elevation is rare, but it only occurred in females in our sample. Partial elevation and the presence of a wide post-auricular sulcus was common (>80%) among females. The post-auricular sulcus is uncommon in males, and when present is usually narrow and shallow. The results suggest that when present, a medially projecting auricular surface and a postauricular sulcus are reliable indicators that the individual is female. However, if the traits are absent, they provide little valuable evidence about sex.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This study explores the nature of morphological variation in the base of the human cranium and the utility of that variation for estimating sex and ancestry from skeletonized remains. Discriminant functions that accurately estimate sex... more
This study explores the nature of morphological variation in the base of the human cranium and the utility of that variation for estimating sex and ancestry from skeletonized remains. Discriminant functions that accurately estimate sex and ancestry for American Whites and Blacks from the cranial base are presented.
This presentation will provide physical anthropologists with new tools for estimating sex and ancestry from skeletonized human remains, particularly in the case of fragmentary crania where portions of the cranial base remain intact. Sex and ancestry are important components of the biological profile that physical anthropologists seek to establish for unidentified individuals. Methods that are appropriate for use with fragmentary remains expand the range of tools available to practicing forensic anthropologists.
It is well established that craniofacial morphology can be used to estimate sex and ancestry of human remains, but in some instances crania are not recovered intact. Building on earlier research by Holland (1985, 1986) that indicated dimensions of the cranial base can be used for sex and ancestry attribution, it is hypothesized that sex and ancestry can be more accurately estimated using the three dimensional morphology of the cranial base.
A sample of 277 crania from individuals of known sex and ancestry from the Robert J. Terry (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) and William M. Bass (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) Collections is used to test this hypothesis. A series of 12 landmarks from the cranial base were observed as three dimensional coordinates and analyzed using geometric morphometric and traditional statistical methods. The Cartesian coordinates were fitted with general procrustes analysis, which brings the configurations into a common coordinate system, rotates and scales them. The fitted coordinates were then subjected to principal component analysis. Principal components representing 90% of the shape variation and the centroid size from the procrustes analysis were used to derive discriminant functions for classifying crania as to sex and ancestry (American Whites and Blacks).
Using landmarks from this morphological region, both sex and ancestry can be classified with greater than 85 percent accuracy. As seen in other studies, shape is the critical component for ancestry estimation, while sex estimation requires both shape and size for accurate classification. For estimating ancestry, only the principal components representing the shape variation between the American White and Black samples was necessary. Nevertheless, for estimating sex the addition of centroid size significantly improved the accuracy of the method. Based on this study, discriminant functions employing interlandmark distances that do not require a digitizer to observe are presented.
Morphometrics, Sex, Ancestry
This presentation will provide physical anthropologists with new tools for estimating sex and ancestry from skeletonized human remains, particularly in the case of fragmentary crania where portions of the cranial base remain intact. Sex and ancestry are important components of the biological profile that physical anthropologists seek to establish for unidentified individuals. Methods that are appropriate for use with fragmentary remains expand the range of tools available to practicing forensic anthropologists.
It is well established that craniofacial morphology can be used to estimate sex and ancestry of human remains, but in some instances crania are not recovered intact. Building on earlier research by Holland (1985, 1986) that indicated dimensions of the cranial base can be used for sex and ancestry attribution, it is hypothesized that sex and ancestry can be more accurately estimated using the three dimensional morphology of the cranial base.
A sample of 277 crania from individuals of known sex and ancestry from the Robert J. Terry (National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution) and William M. Bass (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) Collections is used to test this hypothesis. A series of 12 landmarks from the cranial base were observed as three dimensional coordinates and analyzed using geometric morphometric and traditional statistical methods. The Cartesian coordinates were fitted with general procrustes analysis, which brings the configurations into a common coordinate system, rotates and scales them. The fitted coordinates were then subjected to principal component analysis. Principal components representing 90% of the shape variation and the centroid size from the procrustes analysis were used to derive discriminant functions for classifying crania as to sex and ancestry (American Whites and Blacks).
Using landmarks from this morphological region, both sex and ancestry can be classified with greater than 85 percent accuracy. As seen in other studies, shape is the critical component for ancestry estimation, while sex estimation requires both shape and size for accurate classification. For estimating ancestry, only the principal components representing the shape variation between the American White and Black samples was necessary. Nevertheless, for estimating sex the addition of centroid size significantly improved the accuracy of the method. Based on this study, discriminant functions employing interlandmark distances that do not require a digitizer to observe are presented.
Morphometrics, Sex, Ancestry
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology introduces the reader to the broad and fluid role of the practicing forensic anthropologist and archaeologist in various parts of the world. In the early beginning of the discipline,... more
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
introduces the reader to the broad and fluid role of
the practicing forensic anthropologist and archaeologist
in various parts of the world. In the early beginning
of the discipline, the role of the forensic anthropologist
was restricted to providing basic biological information
about unidentified individuals in a skeletonized or
highly decomposed state. Today, forensic anthropologists
have gone beyond the basics of skeletal analyses,
and assist in the recovery and analysis of human
remains from mass disasters and international atrocities,
and even sometimes aid in the identification of
living individuals.
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
is divided into five parts. Part I consists of nine chapters
summarizing the history of the discipline in the
United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France,
South America, Canada, Australia, and Indonesia.
While the historical progression of the discipline varies
regionally, there are some underlying themes. These
are: 1) the role of the forensic anthropologist is fluid
and continuously growing and often depends on the regional
and cultural expectations and values; 2) forensic
anthropological methods are still frequently carried out
by pathologists and other forensic investigators, but an
understanding of the value of using trained forensic
anthropologists and archaeologists is growing in most
parts of the world; 3) medicolegal investigations are
multidisciplinary in nature and forensic anthropologists
and archaeologists must learn to work as part of a
team of experts, and; 4) resources for advancing forensic
anthropology are still often lacking, but at the
same time, there is an increasing push for better
training of students and certification of professionals.
While forensic anthropological research is discussed in
several chapters of Part I, an unfortunate omission
from this section is the contribution of forensic anthropology
research to theory and methods in biological anthropology.
Parts II and III provide an overview of
the standard techniques employed by forensic archaeologists
and anthropologists, respectively, during the
recovery and analysis of human skeletons. Part II
consists of only two chapters. Chapter 11 describes
techniques for locating human remains, and Chapter
12 discusses general considerations for conducting forensic
excavations. Part III consists of 15 chapters that
provide a broad overview of the methods used by forensic
anthropologists to assess the forensic importance
of bone (human versus nonhuman and contemporary
versus noncontemporary), analyze commingled remains,
develop a biological profile (assessment of age, sex,
ancestry, and stature), interpret antemortem and peritmortem
trauma as well as taphonomic and fire damage,
and use facial approximation, superimposition,
DNA, and odontology to assist in identification. The
chapters on forensic anthropological methods provide a
good overview of standard methods used by forensic
anthropologists but supply little information that followers
of the forensic anthropological literature would
not know. One of the most interesting aspects of
Part III is the discussion by Sauer and Wankmiller
(Chapter 16) of the highly controversial topic in biological
anthropology regarding the concept of race. They
argue convincingly that ‘‘identifying the place of ancestry
is a legitimate and useful goal when trying to generate
a biological profile and identify unknown human
remains’’ (p. 187). Part IV includes nine chapters
with case studies that demonstrate the breadth of the discipline
and how forensic anthropologists and archaeologists
work as part of a multidisciplinary team in homicide,
mass disaster, and international atrocity investigations.
Finally, the five chapters in Part V cover topics important
to the practicing forensic anthropologist. These chapters
are on professional conduct and include topics such as
ethical practices, expert testimony, legal processes, working
with large organizations, and the use of quantitative
methods.
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
is an excellent addition to the forensic anthropological
literature. The 42 chapters clearly demonstrate
the breadth of forensic anthropology and archaeology,
and the ways that practicing forensic anthropologists
and archaeologists contribute to medicolegal death
investigations. The selection of authors by the editors
provides both comprehensive and multinational viewpoints—
something missing in most books on forensic
anthropology. The authors include individuals working
in academic settings, medical examiner offices, law
enforcement agencies, private consulting firms, and
government agencies that have participated in numerous
types of forensic investigations around the world.
One thing that is abundantly clear from most of the
chapters is that forensic anthropology has evolved
into more than just a field that deals with the identification
of human skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists
and archaeologists are now involved in
numerous aspects of medicolegal investigations,
including the discovery and recovery of remains, the
analysis of trauma in skeletonized and fleshed bodies,
and constructing a taphonomic profile. They also act,
often in a leadership role, as a crucial part of multidisciplinary
teams that respond to humanitarian and
criminal investigations. Because of its breadth, Handbook
of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology is a
must for all libraries at universities and colleges that
have forensic anthropology or forensic science programs.
I would also encourage anyone interested in
forensic anthropology and archaeology to read the
book. However, because there are numerous chapters
on each topic, there is also a lot of repetition. Therefore,
readers may want to choose only those chapters
that are of particular interest to them. Individuals
interested in purchasing the book or teachers wanting
to adopt it for class should be aware, however, that
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
is not a laboratory manual or an instructional reference
book of forensic anthropological methods. While
the book gives an excellent overview of the field and
provides some information on forensic anthropological
methods, it does not impart specific procedures or
instructions on how to analyze human remains in
medicolegal context. Of course this is also not the
intent of the editors. What this book will do, as was
their intent, is spark a conversation about the role of
forensic anthropology in the past and present and
how it will be practiced in the future. As a practicing
forensic anthropologist and scientist conducting forensic
anthropological research, I am glad I read the
book. I highly recommend it to others with an interest
in the growing and diverse fields of forensic anthropology
and archaeology.
introduces the reader to the broad and fluid role of
the practicing forensic anthropologist and archaeologist
in various parts of the world. In the early beginning
of the discipline, the role of the forensic anthropologist
was restricted to providing basic biological information
about unidentified individuals in a skeletonized or
highly decomposed state. Today, forensic anthropologists
have gone beyond the basics of skeletal analyses,
and assist in the recovery and analysis of human
remains from mass disasters and international atrocities,
and even sometimes aid in the identification of
living individuals.
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
is divided into five parts. Part I consists of nine chapters
summarizing the history of the discipline in the
United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France,
South America, Canada, Australia, and Indonesia.
While the historical progression of the discipline varies
regionally, there are some underlying themes. These
are: 1) the role of the forensic anthropologist is fluid
and continuously growing and often depends on the regional
and cultural expectations and values; 2) forensic
anthropological methods are still frequently carried out
by pathologists and other forensic investigators, but an
understanding of the value of using trained forensic
anthropologists and archaeologists is growing in most
parts of the world; 3) medicolegal investigations are
multidisciplinary in nature and forensic anthropologists
and archaeologists must learn to work as part of a
team of experts, and; 4) resources for advancing forensic
anthropology are still often lacking, but at the
same time, there is an increasing push for better
training of students and certification of professionals.
While forensic anthropological research is discussed in
several chapters of Part I, an unfortunate omission
from this section is the contribution of forensic anthropology
research to theory and methods in biological anthropology.
Parts II and III provide an overview of
the standard techniques employed by forensic archaeologists
and anthropologists, respectively, during the
recovery and analysis of human skeletons. Part II
consists of only two chapters. Chapter 11 describes
techniques for locating human remains, and Chapter
12 discusses general considerations for conducting forensic
excavations. Part III consists of 15 chapters that
provide a broad overview of the methods used by forensic
anthropologists to assess the forensic importance
of bone (human versus nonhuman and contemporary
versus noncontemporary), analyze commingled remains,
develop a biological profile (assessment of age, sex,
ancestry, and stature), interpret antemortem and peritmortem
trauma as well as taphonomic and fire damage,
and use facial approximation, superimposition,
DNA, and odontology to assist in identification. The
chapters on forensic anthropological methods provide a
good overview of standard methods used by forensic
anthropologists but supply little information that followers
of the forensic anthropological literature would
not know. One of the most interesting aspects of
Part III is the discussion by Sauer and Wankmiller
(Chapter 16) of the highly controversial topic in biological
anthropology regarding the concept of race. They
argue convincingly that ‘‘identifying the place of ancestry
is a legitimate and useful goal when trying to generate
a biological profile and identify unknown human
remains’’ (p. 187). Part IV includes nine chapters
with case studies that demonstrate the breadth of the discipline
and how forensic anthropologists and archaeologists
work as part of a multidisciplinary team in homicide,
mass disaster, and international atrocity investigations.
Finally, the five chapters in Part V cover topics important
to the practicing forensic anthropologist. These chapters
are on professional conduct and include topics such as
ethical practices, expert testimony, legal processes, working
with large organizations, and the use of quantitative
methods.
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
is an excellent addition to the forensic anthropological
literature. The 42 chapters clearly demonstrate
the breadth of forensic anthropology and archaeology,
and the ways that practicing forensic anthropologists
and archaeologists contribute to medicolegal death
investigations. The selection of authors by the editors
provides both comprehensive and multinational viewpoints—
something missing in most books on forensic
anthropology. The authors include individuals working
in academic settings, medical examiner offices, law
enforcement agencies, private consulting firms, and
government agencies that have participated in numerous
types of forensic investigations around the world.
One thing that is abundantly clear from most of the
chapters is that forensic anthropology has evolved
into more than just a field that deals with the identification
of human skeletal remains. Forensic anthropologists
and archaeologists are now involved in
numerous aspects of medicolegal investigations,
including the discovery and recovery of remains, the
analysis of trauma in skeletonized and fleshed bodies,
and constructing a taphonomic profile. They also act,
often in a leadership role, as a crucial part of multidisciplinary
teams that respond to humanitarian and
criminal investigations. Because of its breadth, Handbook
of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology is a
must for all libraries at universities and colleges that
have forensic anthropology or forensic science programs.
I would also encourage anyone interested in
forensic anthropology and archaeology to read the
book. However, because there are numerous chapters
on each topic, there is also a lot of repetition. Therefore,
readers may want to choose only those chapters
that are of particular interest to them. Individuals
interested in purchasing the book or teachers wanting
to adopt it for class should be aware, however, that
Handbook of Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology
is not a laboratory manual or an instructional reference
book of forensic anthropological methods. While
the book gives an excellent overview of the field and
provides some information on forensic anthropological
methods, it does not impart specific procedures or
instructions on how to analyze human remains in
medicolegal context. Of course this is also not the
intent of the editors. What this book will do, as was
their intent, is spark a conversation about the role of
forensic anthropology in the past and present and
how it will be practiced in the future. As a practicing
forensic anthropologist and scientist conducting forensic
anthropological research, I am glad I read the
book. I highly recommend it to others with an interest
in the growing and diverse fields of forensic anthropology
and archaeology.
Age Estimation of the Human Skeleton is a collection of papers presented over a several year period at the Mountain, Desert, and Coastal Forensic Anthropology meetings. The purpose of the book, according to the editors, is to present... more
Age Estimation of the Human Skeleton is a collection of
papers presented over a several year period at the Mountain,
Desert, and Coastal Forensic Anthropology meetings.
The purpose of the book, according to the editors, is
to present some of the most recent work on age-at-death
estimations from the human skeleton. It begins with a
short paper on the history of age-at-death methodologies
by Douglas Ubelaker. The remainder of the book is divided
into three sections: (1) dental, (2) osteological, and (3) histological
and multifactorial methods. The 17 chapters in
these three sections are a mixture of reviews of the current
methods (four chapters), evaluation studies of existing
methods (seven chapters), and new or revised
approaches in age-at-death (six chapters). The first section
contains five chapters. Chapter 1 is a review of dental
methods, whereas the next three chapters focus on dental
root transparency for adult age-at-death estimation.
Chapter 5 evaluates the dental age charts by Schour and
Massler and by Ubelaker on recent children of European
ancestry. Section 2 consists of seven chapters examining
osteological indicators of age. It starts with a chapter on
the nature and source of error in age-at-death estimation
by Stephen Nawrocki (Chapter 6). Other chapters examine
the accuracy and precision of macromorphoscopic
changes in the sacrum, radiographic analysis of cartilage
ossification, degenerative changes in the acetabulum, a
comparison of the pubic symphysis methods, and two
chapters on advances in determining age in fetal and subadult
bones. Section 3 includes three chapters on histological
methods and two chapters focusing on multifactorial
methods. Chapter 13 examines the accuracy and precision
of current histological methods. In Chapter 14, the
authors investigate the use of frontal bone histology for
estimating adult age, and in Chapter 15, Streeter presents
her histological method for estimating age in subadults
using developmental processes of the rib. One problem
confronting biological anthropologists, especially in a
medicolegal setting, is how to combine multiple indicators
of age into a single summary age with a point estimate
and valid range for the estimate. Uhl and Nawrocki
(Chapter 16) test four methods (i.e., average, minimum
and maximum overlapping ranges, and multiple linear
regression) for developing a summary age based on multiple
indicators. The final chapter of this section, and the
book, compares the Todd, McKern and Stewart, Suchey-
Brooks, and the ADBOU Age Estimation program for estimating
age using pubic symphysis morphology.
Accurate age-at-death estimation from human skeletal
remains forms a vital part of the observations used in forensic
osteological, bioarcheological, and paleodemographic
analyses. However, age-at-death estimations are hindered
by several biological and methodological issues. For these
reasons, a book on recent advances in age-at-death methods
has been needed. Age Estimation of the Human Skeleton
does not address all the important issues related to
age-at-death estimation, but it does take up some of them.
One quality of the book is that it has chapters on methods
for all life-stage categories, with good review chapters on
methods for estimating age in fetal, subadult, and adult
skeletal remains. As a collection of conference papers, the
quality of the chapters range from fair to excellent. One
thing I found missing was a summary chapter to pull all
the works together. The new methods have generally been
presented elsewhere, but this volume provides some more
details and evaluates their validity. Age Estimation of the
Human Skeleton might work for some instructors as a
supplementary text in forensic anthropology or skeletal
biology courses. There are a few chapters in this book that
would be valuable for students in these courses to read.
For example, Nawrocki’s chapter (Chapter 6) on error in
age estimations is an excellent, but easy to read, overview
of uncertainty that causes inaccuracy and imprecision in
age-at-death estimations. Likewise, Chapter 16 by Uhl
and Nawrocki discusses many of the statistical problems
investigators must deal with when trying to determine
age-at-death based on multiple indicators. Chapter 13 by
Crowder and Pfeiffer is an excellent example of how to
conduct a study testing the validity of age-at-death methods.
Overall, Age Estimation of the Human Skeleton is
well balanced and worth the relatively low price. Many
forensic anthropologists will find it to be a good resource.
papers presented over a several year period at the Mountain,
Desert, and Coastal Forensic Anthropology meetings.
The purpose of the book, according to the editors, is
to present some of the most recent work on age-at-death
estimations from the human skeleton. It begins with a
short paper on the history of age-at-death methodologies
by Douglas Ubelaker. The remainder of the book is divided
into three sections: (1) dental, (2) osteological, and (3) histological
and multifactorial methods. The 17 chapters in
these three sections are a mixture of reviews of the current
methods (four chapters), evaluation studies of existing
methods (seven chapters), and new or revised
approaches in age-at-death (six chapters). The first section
contains five chapters. Chapter 1 is a review of dental
methods, whereas the next three chapters focus on dental
root transparency for adult age-at-death estimation.
Chapter 5 evaluates the dental age charts by Schour and
Massler and by Ubelaker on recent children of European
ancestry. Section 2 consists of seven chapters examining
osteological indicators of age. It starts with a chapter on
the nature and source of error in age-at-death estimation
by Stephen Nawrocki (Chapter 6). Other chapters examine
the accuracy and precision of macromorphoscopic
changes in the sacrum, radiographic analysis of cartilage
ossification, degenerative changes in the acetabulum, a
comparison of the pubic symphysis methods, and two
chapters on advances in determining age in fetal and subadult
bones. Section 3 includes three chapters on histological
methods and two chapters focusing on multifactorial
methods. Chapter 13 examines the accuracy and precision
of current histological methods. In Chapter 14, the
authors investigate the use of frontal bone histology for
estimating adult age, and in Chapter 15, Streeter presents
her histological method for estimating age in subadults
using developmental processes of the rib. One problem
confronting biological anthropologists, especially in a
medicolegal setting, is how to combine multiple indicators
of age into a single summary age with a point estimate
and valid range for the estimate. Uhl and Nawrocki
(Chapter 16) test four methods (i.e., average, minimum
and maximum overlapping ranges, and multiple linear
regression) for developing a summary age based on multiple
indicators. The final chapter of this section, and the
book, compares the Todd, McKern and Stewart, Suchey-
Brooks, and the ADBOU Age Estimation program for estimating
age using pubic symphysis morphology.
Accurate age-at-death estimation from human skeletal
remains forms a vital part of the observations used in forensic
osteological, bioarcheological, and paleodemographic
analyses. However, age-at-death estimations are hindered
by several biological and methodological issues. For these
reasons, a book on recent advances in age-at-death methods
has been needed. Age Estimation of the Human Skeleton
does not address all the important issues related to
age-at-death estimation, but it does take up some of them.
One quality of the book is that it has chapters on methods
for all life-stage categories, with good review chapters on
methods for estimating age in fetal, subadult, and adult
skeletal remains. As a collection of conference papers, the
quality of the chapters range from fair to excellent. One
thing I found missing was a summary chapter to pull all
the works together. The new methods have generally been
presented elsewhere, but this volume provides some more
details and evaluates their validity. Age Estimation of the
Human Skeleton might work for some instructors as a
supplementary text in forensic anthropology or skeletal
biology courses. There are a few chapters in this book that
would be valuable for students in these courses to read.
For example, Nawrocki’s chapter (Chapter 6) on error in
age estimations is an excellent, but easy to read, overview
of uncertainty that causes inaccuracy and imprecision in
age-at-death estimations. Likewise, Chapter 16 by Uhl
and Nawrocki discusses many of the statistical problems
investigators must deal with when trying to determine
age-at-death based on multiple indicators. Chapter 13 by
Crowder and Pfeiffer is an excellent example of how to
conduct a study testing the validity of age-at-death methods.
Overall, Age Estimation of the Human Skeleton is
well balanced and worth the relatively low price. Many
forensic anthropologists will find it to be a good resource.
Approximately 10,000 radiocarbon years before present, a 17 to 19 year-old female died of an unknown cause and was buried in a fully extended supine position on the south side of Arch Lake in the southwestern Great Plains near the present... more
Approximately 10,000 radiocarbon years before present, a 17 to 19 year-old female died of an unknown cause and was buried in a fully extended supine position on the south side of Arch Lake in the southwestern Great Plains near the present day border of New Mexico and Texas. The young woman, probably affiliated with Plainview Complex, was buried with a necklace of talc beads around her neck, a bag containing red pigment and a unifacial stone tool on her left hip, and a bone tool placed on her chest. The grave remained relatively undisturbed until 1967 when it became exposed in the cut bank of a dirt road and was subsequently discovered and carefully excavated by archaeologists. Since its removal the Arch Lake woman remains, which are among the oldest human remains found in North America, the skeleton and artifacts have been curated at the Blackwater Draw Museum at Eastern New Mexico University.
In 2000, Douglas Owsley and a team of Paleoindian experts undertook an extensive, multidisciplinary re-investigation of the skeleton, radiocarbon dating, burial geology, and artifact assemblage. The investigation of the skeletal remains included the development of a biological profile, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis, and comparison of cranial, postcranial, and dental features of the Arch Lake woman to other early Americans, Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans skeletons. The investigation also included geoarchaeological analysis of the burial location, microprobe analysis of the red pigment in the burial fill, and comparison of Early American mortuary practices. Owsley and colleagues successfully demonstrate the wealth of information that can be gleamed from ancient skeletons such as Arch Lake Woman. What stands out in the analyses is that, like other early Americans, the Arch Lake woman is morphological different from modern Native Americans. Furthermore, while similar in morphology and lifestyle to other early Americans, the young woman from Arch Lake is distinct in that she was buried in an extended position and had a relatively short and wide cranial vault compared to the more common long and narrow vault seen in other Paleoamericans.
Arch Lake Woman is an excellent addition to the Great Plains and Paleoamerican literature. It is a concise, technical book that provides a wealth of information about this early American skeleton from the southwestern Great Plains. It should be in the library of anyone that does research on Paleoamericans or Great Plains prehistory. Besides their analyses and interpretations, Owsley and colleagues provide raw cranial, postcranial, and dental measurements as well as detailed descriptions of the burial artifacts. For nonspecialist readers with a recreational curiosity about the earliest occupants of the Great Plains, this book is worth examining. It is very short and well written. However, its target audience is professional physical anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians, so it may require some scientific background to fully comprehend.
In 2000, Douglas Owsley and a team of Paleoindian experts undertook an extensive, multidisciplinary re-investigation of the skeleton, radiocarbon dating, burial geology, and artifact assemblage. The investigation of the skeletal remains included the development of a biological profile, radiocarbon dating, stable isotope analysis, and comparison of cranial, postcranial, and dental features of the Arch Lake woman to other early Americans, Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans skeletons. The investigation also included geoarchaeological analysis of the burial location, microprobe analysis of the red pigment in the burial fill, and comparison of Early American mortuary practices. Owsley and colleagues successfully demonstrate the wealth of information that can be gleamed from ancient skeletons such as Arch Lake Woman. What stands out in the analyses is that, like other early Americans, the Arch Lake woman is morphological different from modern Native Americans. Furthermore, while similar in morphology and lifestyle to other early Americans, the young woman from Arch Lake is distinct in that she was buried in an extended position and had a relatively short and wide cranial vault compared to the more common long and narrow vault seen in other Paleoamericans.
Arch Lake Woman is an excellent addition to the Great Plains and Paleoamerican literature. It is a concise, technical book that provides a wealth of information about this early American skeleton from the southwestern Great Plains. It should be in the library of anyone that does research on Paleoamericans or Great Plains prehistory. Besides their analyses and interpretations, Owsley and colleagues provide raw cranial, postcranial, and dental measurements as well as detailed descriptions of the burial artifacts. For nonspecialist readers with a recreational curiosity about the earliest occupants of the Great Plains, this book is worth examining. It is very short and well written. However, its target audience is professional physical anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians, so it may require some scientific background to fully comprehend.