Adult Age-at-Death Estimation in Unknown Decedents: New Perspectives on an Old Problem

Abstract One of the main responsibilities of a forensic anthropologist is the creation of a biological profile (estimated age, sex, ancestry, and living stature) for unknown decedents. This chapter focuses on the macroscopic methods for estimating age-at-death in adult skeletons, the need for population-specific standards and provides recommendations for current aging methods to use in forensic settings. Traditional methods as well as new advances in age estimation are discussed for the pubic symphysis, sternal rib ends, auricular surface, cranial sutures, late fusing epiphyses, acetabulum, general indicators, and multifactorial age estimation. Newer methods, such as transition analysis and modern medical imaging techniques, are also evaluated. A case study is presented which highlights the process of creating an overall age estimation which incorporates multiple indicators.