Analysis of age-at-death estimation through the use of pubic symphyseal data

J Forensic Sci. 2008 May;53(3):558-68. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00711.x.

Abstract

The question of whether age parameters derived from an American population will reliably estimate age-at-death for East European skeletal populations is important since the ability to accurately estimate an individual's age-at-death hinges on what standard is used. A reference sample of identified individuals with known ages-at-death from the regions of the Former Yugoslavia (n = 861) is used to determine the age structure of victims and serves as the prior in the Bayesian analysis. Pubic symphyseal data in the manners of Todd (Am J Phys Anthropol, 3 [1920], 285; Am J Phys Anthropol, 4 [1921], 1) and Suchey-Brooks (Am J Phys Anthropol, 80 [1986], 167) were collected for n = 296 Balkan males and females and for n = 2078 American males and females. An analysis of deviance is calculated using an improvement chi-square to test for population variation in the aging processes of American and East European populations using proportional odds probit regression. When males and females are treated separately, there is a significant association among females and the population (df = 1, chi-square likelihood ratio = 15.071, p = 0.001). New age estimates for Balkan populations are provided and are based on the calculated age distribution from the Gompertz-Makeham hazard analysis and the ages-of-transition. To estimate the age-at-death for an individual, the highest posterior density regions for each symphyseal phase are provided.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Age Determination by Skeleton / methods*
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Europe, Eastern
  • Female
  • Forensic Anthropology / methods*
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pubic Symphysis / anatomy & histology*
  • Racial Groups
  • Regression Analysis
  • United States