Stature reconstruction from long bones in ancient population samples: An approach to the problem of its reliability

Abstract

Stature estimates provided by the application of the anatomical method of Fully and Pineau (1960) to well preserved Neolithic skeletons (39 males and 27 females) from seven different European countries are compared with those drawn from lower-extremity components by means of regression equations commonly used to predict stature of earlier European populations. The analysis of data, carried out with reference both to the sample of origin of the skeletons and to stature classes, suggests that the equations of Pearson (1899) and of Trotter and Gleser for Negroes (1952, 1977) yield very good estimates in female samples, leading to errors below 2 cm in most of the cases. These equations, and those of Olivier et al. (1978), prove useful for stature reconstruction in males too, with the exception of very low (below 154 cm) and very tall (over 179 cm) individuals. Formulae of Breitinger (1938) yield values consistent with those resulting from the anatomical method only within a range including medium-high statures, while the corresponding Bach (1965) formulae for females provide poor approximations. The Trotter and Gleser formulae for Whites (1952) yield very unsatisfactory evaluations, except in specimens taller than 180 cm, and usually overestimate stature both in male and in female skeletons. The results obtained from the long bones by means of alternative approaches to the least-squares regression formulae (Model II regression, and femur/stature ratio) and their efficacy in predicting stature of the samples under study is discussed in the final part of the paper.

Postnatal ontogenesis of the tibia. Implications for age and sex estimation

“…It is also well known between European Anthropologists that the method for calculating adult stature based on U.S. reference samples fails in the estimation of living height in Spain and Italy. In Spain and Italy, the formulae proposed by Pearson at the end of 19th century based on a French sample performs better, because of the biological population history of French, Spanish and Italian populations (Formicola, 1993;Formicola and Franceschi, 1996; Lalueza-Fox, 1998) and because they are populations of medium stature (Formicola, 1993;Formicola and Franceschi, 1996). In contrast, the equations of Trotter and GIeser systematically overestimate stature, both in female and male skeletons of Spanish and Italian origin (Formicola, 1993;Formicola and Franceschi, 1996; LaluezaFox, 1998).…”

“…Tibial growth rate is useful for age estimation in sub-adult individuals, using [62,65,66] and because they are all populations of medium stature [62,66]. In contrast, the equations of Trotter and GIeser systematically overestimate stature, in both female and male skeletons of Spanish and Italian origin [63,65,66].…”

“…In contrast, the equations of Trotter and GIeser systematically overestimate stature, in both female and male skeletons of Spanish and Italian origin [63,65,66]. In fact, there is a need to abandon the notion of the -universality‖ of osteological methodology and rather, promote the standardisation of methods [67].…”

Truncated Foot Length: A Potentially More Reliable Foot Dimension for Stature Estimation

“…While the anatomical method is largely abandoned in the light of the obvious difficulty in recovering the complete skeleton in its intact form from a crime or disaster scene, as well as the tedious and time consuming nature of the technique [2], the mathematical method has undergone several refinements and modifications since its inception in order to provide easy-to-use, reliable and consistent regression equations for the estimation of stature. Initially, the mathematical method for stature estimation is mostly achieved using regression equations particularly derived from measurements of long bones of the upper and lower limbs [3,4]. These equations have a reasonable degree of accuracy, although the lower limb bones are more reliable than the bones of the upper limb [5,6].…”

A Case of Gout from Imperial Rome (1st-2nd Century AD)

“…The measured stature (bregma-talus) in situ was 132 cm, whereas the stature calculated by regression formulae [2] from the length of the long bones was 145 cm. Therefore, her stature in life is likely to have had intermediary values of about 135-140 cm, because the regression formulae tend to overestimate short statures [3], whereas the measurement obtained in situ might underestimate the real stature.…”