Assessing the Occipital Condyles for Age Estimation of Non-Adults.
New methods for assessing age of non-adult remains are frequently sought to improve the ability to correctly identify individuals in for forensic and archaeological purposes.
Especially when faced with comingled remains, it is helpful to have a bone appropriate tool for age estimation. Research was carried out to assess the usefulness of the occipital condyles for aging non-adult individuals
using metric and morphology analyses. Another goal of the present study was to establish definitions for occipital condyle measurements developed specifically for unfused non-adults and fused adult/non-adult skeletal elements.
When taking the width measurements, if a natural groove transected the margin medially, the medial measurement was taken from the articular edge . All measurements were carried out with digital Mitutoyo calipers to
the nearest 0.05 mm. Measurements were collected when possible on the left and right sides of the occipital condyles to test for variance.
Redfield’s research described the development of the occipital for specific age ranges to use in archaeological and forensic applications. The current research expands upon these earlier studies. However, it was developed using a skeletal sample where the age at death was unknown.
A similar pattern is observed during growth and development of billowing in non-adults and flattening with advancing. Grooves-low relief linear depression, enclosed on all sides; any groove crossing the medial margin does not fit this category and is a normal variation seen in adults and non-adults. Also excluded are the anterior suture lines on unfused condyles.
Anthropol Open J. 2022; 5(2): 31-42. doi: 10.17140/ANTPOJ-5-129