Introducing Computed Tomography Standards for Age Estimation of Modern Australian Subadults Using Postnatal Ossification Timings of Select Cranial and Cervical Sites, |
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| Authors: | Nicolene Lottering BForSc BAppSc Donna M MacGregor BSc MSc Clair L Alston BMath MSc PhD Debbie Watson BAppSc Laura S Gregory BSc PhD |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Skeletal Biology and Forensic Anthropology Research Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia;2. Social and Behavioural Research College, Griffith University, Mt Gravatt, Queensland, Australia;3. Department of Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Contemporary, population‐specific ossification timings of the cranium are lacking in current literature due to challenges in obtaining large repositories of documented subadult material, forcing Australian practitioners to rely on North American, arguably antiquated reference standards for age estimation. This study assessed the temporal pattern of ossification of the cranium and provides recalibrated probabilistic information for age estimation of modern Australian children. Fusion status of the occipital and frontal bones, atlas, and axis was scored using a modified two‐ to four‐tier system from cranial/cervical DICOM datasets of 585 children aged birth to 10 years. Transition analysis was applied to elucidate maximum‐likelihood estimates between consecutive fusion stages, in conjunction with Bayesian statistics to calculate credible intervals for age estimation. Results demonstrate significant sex differences in skeletal maturation (p < 0.05) and earlier timings in comparison with major literary sources, underscoring the requisite of updated standards for age estimation of modern individuals. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science forensic anthropology age estimation ossification timings cranial maturation metopic suture occipital bone atlas axis computed tomography transition analysis Bayesian statistics Australia |
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