ISSN: 0022-1198
CODEN: JFSCA
Published Online: 1 October 1983
Page Count: 7

Equations for Estimating Age at Death from the Pubic Symphysis: A Modification of the Mckern-Stewart Method
Snow, CC
Forensic anthropology consultant, Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, IL

(Received 14 February 1983; accepted 22 March 1983)

Abstract

Morphological changes of the pubic symphysis provide an important means of estimating age at death in the adult skeleton. Today, the most widely used method of symphysial aging is the three-component system devised by McKern and Stewert for males and modified by Gilbert and McKern for females. Examination of the published data for both sexes reveals that the relationship of total symphysial score with predicted age and observed standard deviations can be expressed by a set of simple linear and polynominial equations. This approach is more statistically efficient since it uses the total data base rather then independently treated data subsets in predicting age from total symphysial score. It has the added advantage of providing a simple method of predicting symphysial age on small computers or programmable calculators.

Keywords:
physical anthropology, musculoskeletal system, human identification

Paper ID: JFS11593J
DOI: 10.1520/JFS11593J
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