Are we using the appropriate reference samples to develop juvenile age estimation methods based on bone size? An exploration of growth differences between average children and those who become victims of homicide

Spake, Laure; Cardoso, Hugo F.V.

doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2017.10.041

Cited by 14 publications

(18 citation statements)

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“…While modern medical records of deceased children could very well represent individuals of any socioeconomic status (SES), it has been argued that a deceased child is more likely to have low SES (Spake & Cardoso, 2018), as mortality rates are closely and inversely linked to SES level (Bairagi & Chowdhury, 1994; Braudt et al, 2019; Kim & Saada, 2013; Spencer, 2004). The higher mortality rates and biological effects of low SES can be linked to numerous factors, such as parental education level, level of access to medical care, family income‐to‐needs ratio, and living quality (housing), among others.…”

Section: The Inherent Complexities Of Reference Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The higher mortality rates and biological effects of low SES can be linked to numerous factors, such as parental education level, level of access to medical care, family income‐to‐needs ratio, and living quality (housing), among others. Within the deceased sample, it has been suggested that children with different MODs may represent different sectors of the population and will, therefore, also exhibit different developmental trajectories (Spake & Cardoso, 2018). Yet research comparing stature between individuals with a MOD of homicide and accident in three different countries found no consistent differences.…”

Section: The Inherent Complexities Of Reference Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet research comparing stature between individuals with a MOD of homicide and accident in three different countries found no consistent differences. In conclusion, Spake and Cardoso (2018) suggest that the composition of reference samples be thoroughly scrutinized and to specifically incorporate child abuse and neglect cases and data from medical examiners may be preferable to data from hospital sources for methods applied in forensic anthropology.…”

Section: The Inherent Complexities Of Reference Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In other words, to evaluate components of the biological profile (i.e., age, sex, stature) on a deceased individual, the method chosen must be based on a deceased reference sample. Recent suggestions have been made (e.g., Spake & Cardoso, 2018) to move beyond the binary non‐survivors and survivors and into context‐specific samples, such that “forensically‐relevant” samples should be exclusively used in a forensic context. The nature of such a distinction, the lack of consensus on the subject, and the implications in terms of subadult methods beg the question: are there statistically and practically significant growth and development differences between deceased and living subadults and between context‐specific samples?…”

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confidence: 99%

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A comparison of subadult skeletal and dental development based on living and deceased samples

Stull

Corron

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives A fundamental assumption in biological anthropology is that living individuals will present with different growth than non‐survivors of the same population. The aim is to address the question of whether growth and development data of non‐survivors are reflective of the biological consequences of selective mortality and/or stress. Materials and Methods The study compares dental development and skeletal growth collected from radiographic images of contemporary samples of living and deceased individuals from the United States (birth to 20 years) and South Africa (birth to 12 years). Further evaluation of deceased individuals is used to explore differential patterns among manners of death (MOD). Results Results do not show any significant differences in skeletal growth or dental development between living and deceased individuals. However, in the South African deceased sample the youngest individuals exhibited substantially smaller diaphyseal lengths than the living sample, but by 2 years of age the differences were negligible. In the US sample, neither significant nor substantial differences were found in dental development or diaphyseal length according to MOD and age (>2 years of age), though some long bones in individuals <2 years of age did show significant differences. No significant differences were noted in diaphyseal length according to MOD and age in the SA sample. Discussion The current findings refute the idea that contemporary deceased and living individuals would present with differential growth and development patterns through all of ontogeny as well as the assumptions linking short stature, poor environments, and MOD.

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Section: The Inherent Complexities Of Reference Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Inherent Complexities Of Reference Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Inherent Complexities Of Reference Samplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A comparison of subadult skeletal and dental development based on living and deceased samples

Stull

Corron

et al. 2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…Spake and Cardoso [61] examined differences in age estimation using bone size between average children and victims of homicide. This study suggested that growth variation related to socioeconomic status impacted age estimation and revealed differences between data from the United States and Australia/New Zealand.…”

Section: Recent Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of age in forensic anthropology: historical perspective and recent methodological advances

Ubelaker

Khosrowshahi

2019

Forensic Sciences Research

102

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Estimation of age represents a central focus of forensic anthropological analysis of human skeletal remains and of the living. Advances registered in recent research include the topics of taphonomic impact, new anatomical areas of interest, histology, population variation, the dental pulp chamber, technology, mathematical approaches, biochemical analysis and techniques specifically targeting the living. This article reviews the historical development of age estimation methods and considers likely future directions.

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Interpreting error in the estimation of skeletal growth profiles from past populations: An example demonstrating skeletal growth in historic African American communities

Herrmann

2021

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Objectives: The study of growth in the past is a critical component of bioarcheological analyses. However, our understanding of growth in the past is subject to a number of methodological challenges. This study aims to model the skeletal growth of past populations by considering the challenges associated with the data collection process and the challenges associated with the age estimation procedures. Materials and methods:We use skeletal remains from two historic African American cemeteries in the American South to model femoral diaphyseal length-for-age. We estimate the age of each individual using dental development techniques and present growth curves as both a product of the maximum likelihood (MLE) age estimate and the estimated posterior age distribution. Growth was compared against a reference sample from the University of Colorado Child Research Council Study. Results:The results of our analyses showed that femoral diaphyseal length in two historic African American communities is small-for-estimated age as compared to a modern reference sample. However, the magnitude and characterization of this difference is variable when taking into account the broader posterior age distribution.Discussion: Both samples may be small-for-age due to physiological stress associated with racism, inequality, and the compounding effects of early urbanization. However, the interpretation of growth in the past is muddled when considering the relationship between the study sample and the reference sample, when accounting for uncertainty in the age estimation procedure, and the error-inducing steps taken during the data collection process. Future interpretation of skeletal growth in the past must include a full account of the possible sources of error in order to present an accurate representation of growth.

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Are we using the appropriate reference samples to develop juvenile age estimation methods based on bone size? An exploration of growth differences between average children and those who become victims of homicide

Cited by 14 publications

References 101 publications

A comparison of subadult skeletal and dental development based on living and deceased samples

A comparison of subadult skeletal and dental development based on living and deceased samples

Estimation of age in forensic anthropology: historical perspective and recent methodological advances

Interpreting error in the estimation of skeletal growth profiles from past populations: An example demonstrating skeletal growth in historic African American communities

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