科研之友
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摘要
ObjectivesAccurate age estimates are foundational for bioarchaeological research, yet the ability to accurately age older adult skeletons remains elusive. This study uses a new version of pulp/tooth area calculations to investigate chronological age of older archaeological individuals.
Materials and MethodsPulp/tooth area ratios were calculated on modern control teeth (n=10) that were first radiographed and then sectioned for comparative analysis. Pulp/tooth area ratios were determined on sectioned teeth using ImageJ software for: (a) modern individuals of known age (n=26); (b) individuals from Belleville, Ontario, Canada (1821-1874) with documented age (n=50); and (c) Belleville individuals with skeletally estimated age (n=122).
ResultsCalculations from tooth sections on modern teeth (n=10) resulted in a mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.9 years, whereas the radiographic method for the same teeth had an MAE of +/- 14.45 years. Results indicate that sectioned pulp/tooth area ratios are a significant predictor of chronological age (p<.005), with MAEs of +/- 4.53 years for Belleville and +/- 3.77 years for modern individuals. There were no statistically significant differences in age estimations between modern and archaeological individuals, or with respect to tooth type, sex, or intra/inter-observer estimations.
DiscussionThis study provides a new more accurate method for estimating age-at-death, particularly for individuals in the 50+ age category. Sectioning the teeth and directly measuring exposed pulp chambers results in age estimations that were within +/- 4.15 years for both modern and archaeological individuals, thus presenting a method that will enhance the ability to age older individuals.
- 出版日期2018-3
