Remodeling Forensic Skeletal Age : Modern Applications and New Research Directions

Remodeling Forensic Skeletal Age: Modern Applications and New Research Directions presents a comprehensive understanding of the analytical frameworks and conceptual approaches surrounding forensic age estimation and the current state of the field. The book also includes a series of recommendations of best practice through chapter-examples that offer theory and guidance for data acquisition, technique and/or model development, and the assessment of impact of the adopted approaches. Written by leading, international experts, the book's contributors provide an introduction, conceptual understanding and taxonomy of statistical frameworks and computational approaches, including the Bayesian paradigm and machine learning techniques for age estimation. Discusses core concepts in age estimation, along with key terminologies Presents tactics on how readers can generate sound models that can be translated into forensic reports and expert testimony Provides a step-wise approach and best practice recommendations for data acquisition, considerations in sampling, exploratory data analysis, visualization, and sources of error for appropriate and reproducible research design Includes examples, theory and guidance on how to develop models for age estimation and reviews the impact of population-specific and universal approaches Front Cover Remodeling Forensic Skeletal Age: Modern Applications and New Research Directions Copyright Contents Contributors Looking back and forward: An introduction—Defining, refining, and [re]modeling age estimation: A trajectory for forensic a ... The challenge of advanced aging: Synthesizing theory, method, and forensic practice New contributions to aging problems: Chapter summaries Section A. Long-standing problems of ``the population ́ ́ Section B. Aging across the ages Section C. Computational methods come of age Section D. Classic indicators rejuvenated Final thoughts: Aging beyond this volume References Section A: Longstanding problems of ``the population ́ ́ Chapter 1: Using data from the US Korean War Dead and the Terry Collection to demonstrate problems of the common ``overla ... Material and methods Reference sample Test sample Prior age distribution Multivariate cumulative probit model for the reference data Metropolis-Hastings simulation of ages Results Metropolis-Hastings estimation of ages and age-at-death structure (``transition analysis ́ ́) Overlap methods and age estimation The number of overlapping intervals Discussion Acknowledgments References Chapter 2: Testing for differences in senescence using score data to understand the effects of reference sample choices Samples and data Methodological approach and analytical framework Testing for sample effects using a single age estimator Testing for sex and race effects using multiple age estimators Discussion References Section B: Aging across the ages Chapter 3: Subadult age estimation variables: Exploring their varying roles across ontogeny Background Subadult age estimation Subadult age indicators Statistical explorations of correlation and conditional dependence Correlations through ontogeny Conditional dependence Interpretation Conclusions Acknowledgments References Chapter 4: Aging the elderly: Does the skull tell us something about age at death? Introduction Challenges to adult age estimation The problem of aging the elderly The problem of the cranium A pathway forward? Skull alterations with age Material and methods The sample Trait assessment criteria A brief description of the analyzed traits Statistical analysis Tests of reliability Correlation of real age with expected results Results Observer error Relationship to age Results per variable Weight Alveolar resorption Canine fossa depth Skull bones translucencies Parietals Biparietal atrophy Syncipital T Osteoarthritis in skull joints TMJ Occipital condyles Suture obliteration Coronal Sagittal Lambdoid Discussion References Further reading Chapter 5: Population variation in diaphyseal growth and age estimation of juvenile skeletal remains Introduction Samples Research hypotheses and predictions Analysis Results Discussion Conclusion References Chapter 6: Great expectations: The rise, fall, and resurrection of adult skeletal age estimation Good age estimates Skeletal traits Method requirements Conventional procedure results Resulting misconceptions Is there hope? A path forward Recommendations Acknowledgments References Section C: Computational methods come of age Chapter 7: A volumetric approach to age estimation informed by voxel selection: Application to the spheno-occipital syn Methods Population demographics Volumetric synchondrosis measurement/quantification Statistical analysis Results Density changes of the endocranial surface Percentage compositional changes with age Standardized cartilaginous area Cumulative proportion functions Discussion Conclusions Acknowledgments References Chapter 8: The consecutive inference of ancestry and age from shape measures of the pubic symphysis Introduction Data acquisition Implementation Statistical analysis Measures of PS surface morphology Admixture approach to ancestry estimation Assigning ancestry by hard clustering Determining ancestry by supervised classification Discussion References Section D: Classic indicators rejuvenated Chapter 9: The fallacy of forensic age estimation from morphometric quantifications of the pubic symphysis Introduction A theorem about inverse regression The fallacy here perfectly describes pubic symphysis data The only solution is to change the problem Concluding remark Acknowledgments References Chapter 10: An application of the Bayesian SanMillán-Rissech acetabular aging method to an African American sampl Introduction Samples and methods Samples Methods Statistical analyses Results Discussion Acknowledgments References Index Back Cover __Remodeling Forensic Skeletal Age: Modern Applications and New Research Directions__