FORIESIC ANTHROPOLOGY LB AGE EXTIMATION

Name: Date:

Lab I: Age Estimation – Due: October 25th, 2021

This lab allows you to practice age estimation by referencing and applying the specified methods. Be sure to access Blackboard (Course Doc. Lab Content Age Estimation) for the supplementary articles and more explicit instructions pertaining to each question.

  1. Dental Eruption - Estimate the age of the individuals in the dental radiographs based on their dental eruption patterns using the AlQahtani (2009) method. Be sure to indicate if there is permanent, mixed, deciduous dentition present in radiographs A and B.

A:

B:

  1. Epiphyseal Fusion - Skeletonized female human remains were found in Central Park and brought into the OCME for further analysis. It is your job as a forensic anthropologist to provide an age range for the biological profile. Based on the initial observation you can tell that the medial clavicle is completely unfused, the proximal tibia is in the process of fusing, and the distal epiphysis of the humerus is fused. Interpret these observations and provide an age estimation using Buikstra and Ubelaker (1994) table.



  1. Pubic Symphysis - Os coxae 1-3 have all been sexed and a phase has been provided by a forensic anthropologist. Using the Suchey-Brooks (1990) method for the pubic symphysis, provide the age range and the mean age for each os coxa.

Specimen

Sex

Phase

Mean Age

Age Range

#1 Os Coxae

Male

5

#2 Os Coxae

Male

2

#3 Os Coxae

Female

3

  1. Sternal Rib Ends - Features of the fourth sternal rib end have been scored. Using the Iscan et al. (1984a – Metamorphosis) method, provide a mean age and age range based on each feature observed. Then provide the composite score and overall phase for the individual.

Sternal Rib A

Score/Phase

Mean Age

Age Range

I. Pit Depth

4

II. Pit Shape

4

III. Rim & Wall Configuration

5

Iscan Composite

Score

Total Component Age Range

  1. Suture Closure - The sutures of 2 different crania have been scored using the Meindl & Lovejoy (1985) method. Create a composite score (based on the scores provided). Then find the correlated stage and age range for each cranium.

Cranium #1

Vault Sutures

Left/Midline

Right

Antero Lateral

Left

Right

1. Midlambdoid

6. Midcoronal

2. Lambda

7. Pterion

3. Obelion

8. Sphenofrontal

4. Ant. Sagittal

9. Inf. Spheno temporal

5. Bregma

10. Sup. Spheno temporal

COMPOSITE

Vault Score

COMPOSITE Ant Lat Score

STAGE

STAGE

AGE RANGE

AGE RANGE

Cranium #2

Vault Sutures

Left/Midline

Right

Antero Lateral

Left

Right

1. Midlambdoid

6. Midcoronal

2. Lambda

7. Pterion

3. Obelion

8. Sphenofrontal

4. Ant. Sagittal

9. Inf. Sphenotemporal

5. Bregma

10. Sup Sphenotemporal

COMPOSITE

Vault Score

COMPOSITE Ant Lat Score

STAGE

STAGE

AGE RANGE

AGE RANGE