Application of the anatomical method to estimate the maximum adult stature and the age‐at‐death stature

Abstract

This study focuses on the age adjustment of statures estimated with the anatomical method. The research material includes 127 individuals from the Terry Collection. The cadaveric stature (CSTA)-skeletal height (SKH) ratios indicate that stature loss with age commences before SKH reduction. Testing three equations to estimate CSTA at the age at death and CSTA corrected to maximum stature from SKH indicates that the age correction of stature should reflect the pattern of age-related stature loss to minimize estimation error. An equation that includes a continuous and linear age correction through the entire adult age range [Eq. (1)] results in curvilinear stature estimation error. This curvilinear stature estimation error can be largely avoided by applying a second linear equation [Eq. (2)] to only individuals older than 40 years. Our third equation [Eq. (3)], based on younger individuals who have not lost stature, can be used to estimate maximum stature. This equation can also be applied to individuals of unknown or highly uncertain age, because it provides reasonably accurate estimates until about 60/70 years at least for males.

Estimation of stature in archaeological human skeletal remains from Britain

“…15‐20). It is therefore maximum stature that is of interest; inclusion of an age term in individual stature estimates would introduce an unwanted source of variability into the data (Niskanen et al, ). Therefore, the focus of the current work is on anatomical reconstruction of maximum stature.…”

“…() equation without an age term will result in under‐estimation of maximum stature (Raxter et al, ). The age at which stature decline begins continues to be debated, and it has variously been reported as commencing from the third to the fifth decade of life (Niskanen et al, ). To calculate maximum stature, the Raxter et al .…”

Effects of age and body proportions on stature estimation

“…It is well known that living stature declines with age among adults (Chandler & Bock, ; Cline, Meredith, Boyer, & Burrows, ; Friedlaender et al, ; Sorkin, Muller, & Andres, , ; Trotter & Gleser, ). It has been argued that for comparative purposes (e.g., of nutritional effects), maximum adult stature in younger adulthood rather than average adult stature should be employed, to reduce variability due to different demographic age structures (Mays, ; Niskanen, Maijanen, McCarthy, & Junno, ). The revised Fully anatomical method included a linear equation with an age term (Raxter et al, : eq.…”

Exploring the multidimensionality of stature variation in the past through comparisons of archaeological and living populations

“…Clearly, the use of inadequate regression methods can produce unreliable estimates and any inferences based on them would inevitably be equally unreliable. To address these issues, in recent years there have been notable advancements aimed at improving accuracy in estimating stature from skeletal remains (Raxter et al, ; Auerbach and Ruff, ; Petersen, ; Ruff et al, ; Niskanen et al, ).…”