Mandibular Morphology as an Indicator of Human Subadult Age: Interlandmark Approaches

Authors: Franklin, Daniel; Cardini, Andrea

Source: Journal of Forensic Sciences, Volume 52, Number 5, September 2007 , pp. 1015-1019(5)

Buy & download fulltext article:

Price: $48.00 plus tax (Refund Policy)

Abstract:

The dentition is widely recognized as the set of developmental markers that appear to show the least variability against chronological age; these markers are thus widely used in forensic anthropological investigations. As a possible alternative, we investigate here the potential of mandibular morphology as a developmental marker for estimating age at death in subadults. The sample analyzed comprises 79 known age and sex subadult individuals of South African Bantu and African American origin. Linear measurements of ramus height were obtained from the mathematical conversion of three-dimensional landmark data. A series of regression analyses were then performed to predict age by using the measurement of ramus height; results were cross-validated using a jackknife procedure. Our results show that ramus height can be used to predict age in the subadult skeleton with accuracy, closely approaching that of standards based on the dentition (standard error rates are between ±1.1 years and ±2.4 years).

Keywords: forensic science; forensic anthropology; subadult; mandible; age assessment; morphological variation

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2007.00522.x

Affiliations: 1: Functional Morphology and Evolution Research Unit, The Hull York Medical School, Heslington, York, Y010 5DD, U.K.

Publication date: 2007-09-01