Forensic Age‐at‐Death Estimation from the Human Sacrum*

Abstract

A new method is described here that incorporates seven developmental and degenerative changes for estimating chronological age from morphological features of the human sacrum. The construction of this method involved multiple stages of trait identification, character-state definition and age correlation, rank-order phase development, and percent-correct sample testing with phase and sample aggregation, all of which resulted in a six-phase component system for application on modern individuals. This phase system was first developed on European American male and female samples from the Hamann-Todd collection; then tested on African American male and female Hamann-Todd samples as well as European American male and females from the WM Bass collection to examine possible sex and/or ancestry differences. Variation in age estimates due to sex and ancestry was negligible; thus, the multiple samples were all pooled creating a robust method with a large sample size. Overall age ranges increase in width at two standard deviations as is expected from degenerative age-related processes but retain utility in forensic situations.

Age estimation from clavicular epiphyseal union sequencing in a Northwest Indian population of the Chandigarh region

“…Both these developmental and degenerative processes affect different anatomical structures/regions of the human body at different stages of life in a more or less regular and recognizable pattern depending on the stage of life and the anatomical region/ part being observed. 1 Different aging methods are available for different anatomical regions of the human body like dentition, epiphysealediaphyseal union, cranial suture closure, morphology of the auricular surface of ilium, fusion of sternal and sacral elements and phase analysis of sternal end of ribs; but due to destructive taphonomic processes or commingling factors, few or none of these age diagnostic indicators/features of bones may be available for analysis in archaeological, palaeontological or forensic materials, thus making it essential to develop reliable aging methods from a variety of long bones including the clavicle.…”

Estimating stature in South African populations using various measures of the sacrum

“…The sacrum, which is a relatively dense bone, is often found in forensic and/or archaeological settings and is commonly used to assess sex and age-at-death [2,16]. The resilient nature of the sacrum can thus also make it a viable bone to assess for the estimation of stature.…”

Validation of the Acetabulum As a Skeletal Indicator of Age at Death in Modern European‐Americans,

“…Forensic anthropologists frequently examine joint surfaces to inform their adult age estimates . All joints change with age, but some exhibit metamorphic change, while others exhibit degenerative change .…”