Hugo Cardoso | Simon Fraser University (original) (raw)

Papers by Hugo Cardoso

Research paper thumbnail of Historical, demographic, curatorial and legal aspects of the BoneMedLeg human skeletal reference collection (Porto, Portugal)

Anthropologischer Anzeiger, Feb 13, 2020

The BoneMedLeg research project was developed to address current research concerns related to the... more The BoneMedLeg research project was developed to address current research concerns related to the use of skeletal reference collections for forensic purposes. These concerns were partly addressed by amassing a new reference collection which incorporates unclaimed human remains sourced from two municipal cemeteries in the city of Porto, Portugal. Amassed between 2012 and 2014 the collection was developed with permission from and in partnership with the Municipality of Porto, in a manner that is similar to that of other skeletal reference collections in Portugal. Traditionally, municipalities have bequeathed human remains that are cleared from temporary primary and secondary burial plots at local cemeteries and deemed unclaimed, to museums and universities for research purposes. The BoneMedLeg collection currently includes a total of 95 individuals, of which only 81 are fully identified (38 males and 43 females), with ages ranging from 21 days to 94 years, and a mean age of about 62 years. Years of death range from 1969 to 2003, and years of birth from 1891 to 1969. Only about half of the individuals are documented as to cause of death, which includes a considerable diversity of etiologies, from oncological to cardiovascular system disorders, and also traumatic injuries. The collection is more representative of an unskilled working class and aged population, due to one of the main sourced cemeteries disproportionately serving more socioeconomic disadvantaged communities and reflecting the demographics of the city over the past 40 years. In addition to describing the history and curatorial process of the collection in detail, this paper also discusses its broad legal framework and potential biases in its profile and composition which can inform and help plan future research projects.

Research paper thumbnail of The Fall and Rise of Identified Reference Collection: It Is Possible and Necessary to Transition from a Typological Conceptualization of Variation to Effective Utilization of Collections

Forensic Sciences

In some jurisdictions, race, ancestry or population affinity are part of the biological profile u... more In some jurisdictions, race, ancestry or population affinity are part of the biological profile used in preliminary identification, for historical and political reasons. It is long overdue for forensic anthropologists to abandon this typological approach to human variation, regardless of the terms used. Using a sample (n = 105) selected from the Terry and Coimbra identified reference collections, a blind experimental approach is used to test several metric methods and versions of methods for group estimation (Fordisc 3.0 and 3.1, and AncesTrees), that rely on different statistical approaches (discriminant function analysis and random forest algorithms, respectively) derived from different reference samples (Howells’ data in AncesTrees and Fordisc 3.1, and different forensic subsamples in Fordisc 3.0 and 3.1). The accuracy for matching premortem documented group designation is consistently low (36 to 50%) across testing parameters and consistent with other independent tests. The resu...

Research paper thumbnail of The Relative Compositional Changes of Buried Juvenile Porcine Ribs and Ulnae in the Early Postmortem Interval

Research paper thumbnail of Sternum maturation in an identified Portuguese skeletal sample

Campanacho V, Cardoso HFV, Chamberlain AT. 2018. Sternum maturation in an identified Portuguese s... more Campanacho V, Cardoso HFV, Chamberlain AT. 2018. Sternum maturation in an identified Portuguese skeletal sample. 87th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Austin, USA, 11th -14nd April.

Research paper thumbnail of Cabeço da Arruda in the 1860s

The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1... more The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1864, still preserved in two Lisbon museums, provides the occasion for a reminder of the importance of the burials in the history of European anthropology. The material is briefly summarized, together with a discussion on the location of the finds. An AMS analysis of a charcoal sample contained within a skull provides a date consonant with other evidence

Research paper thumbnail of Trends in adult stature of peoples who inhabited the modern Portuguese territory from the Mesolithic to the late 20thcentury

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2009

This study documents long-term changes in stature from the Mesolithic to the late 20 th century i... more This study documents long-term changes in stature from the Mesolithic to the late 20 th century in the territory of modern Portugal. Data utilised originated from published sources and from a sample of the Lisbon identified skeletal collection, where long bone lengths were collected. Mean long bone lengths were obtained from 20 population samples and compiled into nine periods. Pooled long bone lengths for each period were then converted to stature estimates. Results show three major trends: (1) a slow increase in stature from prehistory to the Middle Ages; (2) a negative trend from the Middle Ages to the late 19 th century; and (3) a very rapid increase in mean stature during the second half of the 20 th century. The political and territorial stability of the Kingdom of Portugal may have contributed to the greater heights of the medieval Portuguese, compared with the Roman and Modern periods. The negative secular trend was rooted in poor and unsanitary living conditions and the spread of infectious disease, brought about by increased population growth and urbanisation. Although the end of the Middle Ages coincided with the age of discoveries, the population may not have benefited from the overall prosperity of this period. The 20 th century witnessed minor and slow changes in the health status of the Portuguese, but it was not until major improvements in social and economic conditions that were initiated in the 1960s, and further progress in the 1970s, that the Portuguese grew taller than ever before. Since the Middle Ages other European countries have experienced similar oscillations, but showed an earlier recovery in stature after the industrial period.

Research paper thumbnail of Examining the socioeconomic effects on third molar maturation in a Portuguese sample of children, adolescents and young adults

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2016

Introduction The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on tooth mineralization has seldom been eva... more Introduction The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on tooth mineralization has seldom been evaluated. This is important because SES can be used as a proxy for quantifying factors in the environmental that can impact mineralization but that can be difficult to measure directly, such as nutrition. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the effects of SES on third molar mineralization, using a sample of children, adolescents and young adults from Porto, Portugal. Methods Panoramic x-rays from 1747 patients (842 males and 904 females) were used in this study. Eight hundred and fifteen individuals were patients attending a private practice and were classified as high SES (384 males and 458 females), whereas the remaining 932 subjects (458 males and 474 females) were patients attending the dental clinic at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto and were classified as low SES. Inclusion of individuals on the each SES group was also based on parental and own occupation. The mandibular third molar was assessed for its maturation using Demirjian's stages. The median age of attainment of root stages was calculated for stages D to H, using logistic regression and compared between the high and low SES samples. Results Boys from the higher SES group show an earlier median age of attainment for stages D, E, and F. Girls from the higher SES group also show an earlier median age of attainment, but for stages D and E. Stages G and H did not show SES differences in both sexes. Conclusions Patients from the higher SES group showed a consistent advancement in maturation of the third molar, although SES differences diminish and eventually disappear in the last stages of root maturation. An accelerated effect related to overweight and obesity is suggested as the primary explanation.

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating age at death from the size of the growing epiphyses and metaphyses of the femur and tibia at the knee

Acta medicinae legalis et socialis, 2010

eStimatiNg age at death from the Size of the growiNg epiphySeS aNd metaphySeS of the femur aNd ti... more eStimatiNg age at death from the Size of the growiNg epiphySeS aNd metaphySeS of the femur aNd tibia at the kNee abstract: the main purpose of the present study is to evaluate the utility of the width of the epiphyses and metaphyses of the femur and tibia at the knee in estimating age at death in subadult skeletons. the study sample was taken from the Lisbon documented skeletal collection (nmnH, Lisbon, Portugal) and it comprises 84 individuals (males, 47; females, 37) between 9 months and 18 years. simple linear regression models and r2 values were calculated for the relationship between chronological age and epiphyseal and metaphyseal width for the sex-pooled sample. Linear regression models were calibrated to obtain prediction equations. mean standard error (mse) and mean 95% confidence interval (mcI) were calculated for all equations. Results show that epiphyseal widths correlate better with chronological age (femur: r2=0.91; tibia, r2=0.93) than metaphyseal widths (femur: r2=0.87; tibia, r2=0.89). At the knee, the distal femoral metaphysis is the most accurate site for age estimation (mse: 1.52 years; mcI: ±3.05 years).

Research paper thumbnail of Testing the predictions of the developmental origins of adult health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis on an identified human skeletal collection II: Age at death and femur length

Research paper thumbnail of The problem of age determination in living individuals

The increase of international illegal emigration has raise the need for forensic age estimation o... more The increase of international illegal emigration has raise the need for forensic age estimation of foreigners without valid identification documents. In this work the discussion is about some methods to estimate age in humans, with the emphasis on their importance and constrains. Some preliminary results and a brief statistical discussion, concerning its accuracy, are performed.

Research paper thumbnail of Establishing a minimum postmortem interval of human remains in an advanced state of skeletonization using the growth rate of bryophytes and plant roots

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2009

This paper illustrates the usefulness and efficiency of botanical evidence in establishing a mini... more This paper illustrates the usefulness and efficiency of botanical evidence in establishing a minimum postmortem interval (PMI). The case under analysis refers to the remains of an adult male in an advanced state of skeletonization recovered from a wooded area in northern Portugal. The skeleton showed several taphonomical changes, which included the presence of green algae, bryophytes, and growing shrub roots in, around, and through the remains. By determining the age of both the bryophytes and shrub roots, it was concluded that the minimum amount of time elapsed since death was 3 years, to which several months or a few years have to be added to account for the complete decomposition of the remains. The disappearance of the presumptive individual had occurred 6 years before and is fully consistent with the estimate of the PMI. This report illustrates a novel use of bryophytes in a forensic setting.

Research paper thumbnail of Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains using the post-natal development of the occipital bone

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2013

Objectives: This study provides classical calibration regression formulae for age estimation from... more Objectives: This study provides classical calibration regression formulae for age estimation from the dimensions of unfused shoulder and pelvic girdle bones. Materials and methods: Age estimation models were derived from a sample of 160 known age and sex individuals (63 females and 97 males) aged birth to 12 years, selected from Portuguese and English skeletal collections. The sample was divided into two age groups at the age of 2 years, and formulae were obtained for the sexes separately and combined. Results: Measurements of the pelvis provide more precise age estimates than the shoulder. In the younger age group, the height and width of the ilium, and the height of the glenoid yield the most precise age estimates. In the older age group, the length of the clavicle provides the most precise estimates, followed by measurements of the pubis and ischium. Discussion: In the younger individuals (<2 years), age estimates based on measurements of the pelvic girdle seem to be as or more precise than those based on the length of long bones. In older individuals (2 years), estimates based on the measurements of the girdles are less precise than those based on the length of long bones. These age estimation formulae may be useful for fragmentary and incomplete material in archaeological and forensic contexts. The formulae are suitable for a variety of archeological populations living under adverse conditions. These conditions are similar to some "developing" countries, and hence the formulae may also be applicable to modern forensic remains from such environments.

Research paper thumbnail of Timing of fusion of the ischiopubic ramus from dry bone observations

HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, 2013

There is little information about the age at which the ischiopubic ramus fuses derived from dry b... more There is little information about the age at which the ischiopubic ramus fuses derived from dry bone observations. This study documents the age ranges for union of the ischiopubic ramus in a sample of 148 known sex and age skeletons from Portugal, with ages ranging from birth to 20 years, using a three-stage scheme. The oldest female with an unfused ramus is 11 years old and the oldest male is 8 years old. The youngest male with a completely fused ramus is 7 years old, and the youngest female is 5 years old. Despite the relatively large sample size, partial fusion was a rare event to record as only two individuals were at this stage and these seemed relatively older than expected (12 and 14 years of age). The likely age interval for partial union of the ramus was subsequently estimated from logistic regression, for both sexes separated and combined. In the sex-pooled sample, the inter-quartile range (25th-75th percentile) for the median age of fusion is 7-11 years and the 10th-90th percentile range is 4-15 years. The scarcity of data on the age of ischiopubic fusion may be related to biases in the sample or to fusion occurring rapidly in this anatomical location. Additional studies may be required to assess the accuracy of the ages reported here, but at present this study provides the most comprehensive assessment of timing of fusion at the ischiopubic ramus from observations of dry bone specimens.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the influence of occupational and physical activity on the rate of degenerative change of the pubic symphysis in portuguese males from the 19th to 20th century

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2012

Among the many factors suggested as potential sources of variation in the rate of ageing of the p... more Among the many factors suggested as potential sources of variation in the rate of ageing of the pubic symphysis is occupational/physical activity, but this has yet to be demonstrated. This study&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s main goal is to determine whether occupational/physical activity influences the aging process in the pubic symphysis. We analyzed a sample of 161 males (18-96 years) from two Portuguese identified skeletal collections, where age-related features were recorded in the pubic symphysis as absent/present. The sample was divided in two groups according to the occupation of the individuals (manual and non-manual) and in two groups according to the femoral robusticity index (robust and gracile). The manual and robust groups represent individuals with more physically demanding occupations while the non-manual and gracile groups represent less physically demanding occupations. The possible influence of occupational/physical activity on the rate of ageing was evaluated by comparing the transition age for each age-related feature, between the two groups, using logistic regression. Only the ligamentous outgrowths on the ventral beveling showed a statistically significant younger age in the robust group, indicating a possible faster rate or early timing of change in the individuals with a more physically demanding activity compared with their gracile counterparts. Thus, these results do not provide significant support to the hypothesis that individuals with a greater demanding occupation or physical activity show greater pubic symphysis degeneration. Further testing of this hypothesis in other samples with individuals from known occupation is required. Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Research paper thumbnail of Age at death and linear enamel hypoplasias: Testing the effects of childhood stress and adult socioeconomic circumstances in premature mortality

American Journal of Human Biology, 2014

The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult soci... more The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult socioeconomic circumstances with age at death in a modern skeletal sample of known age. Specifically, this study wishes to test whether there is a relationship between early life stressors, environmental quality in adult life and premature mortality. Methods: The presence/absence of LEH and the number of LEH episodes were recorded in 113 adult males from the Lisbon identified skeletal collection. The association between LEH and age was quantified using linear regression and binary logistic regression models, calculating crude and adjusted linear regression coefficients and odds ratios. The models were adjusted for year of birth, socioeconomic and migration status, and cause of death. Results: The presence and number of LEH were related to premature mortality. Individuals expressing at least one enamel defect survived 9.0 years less or were 2.5 times more likely to die before 53 years of age compared to individuals with no LEH. However, when controlling for the confounding factors considered, the association between LEH and age became nonsignificant. Conclusions: The results indicate that although early life stressors, identified as LEH, seem strongly associated with premature mortality, adulthood socioeconomic circumstances accounts for most of the decreased longevity. This suggests that either macroscopically identified LEH in the permanent canine do not measure stressors early in life, or that a cumulative adversity model is a more adequate explanation. Am.

Research paper thumbnail of Chapter Four

The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1... more The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1864, still preserved in two Lisbon museums, provides the occasion for a reminder of the importance of the burials in the history of European anthropology. The material is briefly summarized, together with a discussion on the location of the finds. An AMS analysis of a charcoal sample contained within a skull provides a date consonant with other evidence.

Research paper thumbnail of Is Demirjian’s original method really useful for age estimation in a forensic context?

Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, 2015

The suitability of Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;... more The suitability of Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s method for forensic age estimation has been systematically questioned. The aim of this study is to further assess the reliability of Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s original method in forensic age estimation using a sample of Portuguese children. 564 panoramic radiographs of Portuguese boys and girls between 6 and 16 years of age were evaluated using Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s method. Dental age (DA) was determined using the 50th percentile for the maturity score obtained for each age group. The mean difference between chronological age (CA) and dental age (DA) and the mean absolute difference between CA and DA were calculated for each age group. Paired t tests were used to test the statistical significance of mean differences between CA and DA. For each individual, a 94 % confidence interval was calculated for estimated DA, using the 3rd and 97th percentiles in Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s conversion tables. Chronological age was overestimated in boys, in every age group; mean differences between CA and DA were statistically significant, expect for age 7. In girls, chronological age was overestimated in the 10-15 year-old age group. The difference between CA and DA was highest in the 12 years olds for both sexes. The 94 % confidence intervals did not include the true chronological age in all 6, 13, and 15 year-old girls, and all 14 and 15 year-old boys. Only a small portion of the individuals in the remaining age groups had their true chronological age falling within the probable age interval. Results show a systematic bias and consistent inaccuracy in estimating age from dental development using Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s original method, making this methodology unsuitable for age estimation in the study sample. These results add to published evidence which suggests that Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s method is not suitable and should be abandoned altogether for forensic age estimation purposes.

Research paper thumbnail of Author’s response to reviews Title: Age estimation in three distinct East Asian population groups using southern Han Chinese dental reference dataset Authors

Research paper thumbnail of The Effects of Bilateral Asymmetry in Long Bone Length on Juvenile Age Predictions

Cardoso HFV, Abrantes J, Humphrey LT. 2014. Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains fro... more Cardoso HFV, Abrantes J, Humphrey LT. 2014. Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains from the diaphyseal length of the long bones in the postnatal period. Int J Legal Med 128:809-825. Primeau C, Friis L, Sejrsen B, Lynnerup N. 2016. A method for estimating age of medieval sub-adults from infancy to adulthood based on long bone length. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:135-145. Stull KE, L’Abb e EN, Ousley SD. 2014. Using multivariate adaptive regression splines to estimate subadult age from diaphyseal dimensions. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:376-386.  26 juveniles belonging to the skeletal reference collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Research paper thumbnail of Structural violence and the nature of cemetery-based skeletal reference collections

The sourcing of cadavers for North American skeletal reference collections occurred immediately a... more The sourcing of cadavers for North American skeletal reference collections occurred immediately after death and targeted the poor and marginalised. In Europe, collections sourced bodies that were buried and unclaimed after some time in cemeteries with no perpetual care mandate, and may have also targeted the underprivileged. The relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and abandonment was examined in a sample of unclaimed remains (603 adults and 98 children) collected from cemeteries in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, that were incorporated in a collection. Results demonstrate that low SES individuals are not more likely to be abandoned nor to be incorporated in the collection than higher SES individuals. Furthermore, historical data indicate that the poorest were not incorporated into the collection, because of burial practices. Although the accumulation of collections in North America was facilitated by structural violence that targeted the poor and marginalised, this phenom...

Research paper thumbnail of Historical, demographic, curatorial and legal aspects of the BoneMedLeg human skeletal reference collection (Porto, Portugal)

Anthropologischer Anzeiger, Feb 13, 2020

The BoneMedLeg research project was developed to address current research concerns related to the... more The BoneMedLeg research project was developed to address current research concerns related to the use of skeletal reference collections for forensic purposes. These concerns were partly addressed by amassing a new reference collection which incorporates unclaimed human remains sourced from two municipal cemeteries in the city of Porto, Portugal. Amassed between 2012 and 2014 the collection was developed with permission from and in partnership with the Municipality of Porto, in a manner that is similar to that of other skeletal reference collections in Portugal. Traditionally, municipalities have bequeathed human remains that are cleared from temporary primary and secondary burial plots at local cemeteries and deemed unclaimed, to museums and universities for research purposes. The BoneMedLeg collection currently includes a total of 95 individuals, of which only 81 are fully identified (38 males and 43 females), with ages ranging from 21 days to 94 years, and a mean age of about 62 years. Years of death range from 1969 to 2003, and years of birth from 1891 to 1969. Only about half of the individuals are documented as to cause of death, which includes a considerable diversity of etiologies, from oncological to cardiovascular system disorders, and also traumatic injuries. The collection is more representative of an unskilled working class and aged population, due to one of the main sourced cemeteries disproportionately serving more socioeconomic disadvantaged communities and reflecting the demographics of the city over the past 40 years. In addition to describing the history and curatorial process of the collection in detail, this paper also discusses its broad legal framework and potential biases in its profile and composition which can inform and help plan future research projects.

Research paper thumbnail of The Fall and Rise of Identified Reference Collection: It Is Possible and Necessary to Transition from a Typological Conceptualization of Variation to Effective Utilization of Collections

Forensic Sciences

In some jurisdictions, race, ancestry or population affinity are part of the biological profile u... more In some jurisdictions, race, ancestry or population affinity are part of the biological profile used in preliminary identification, for historical and political reasons. It is long overdue for forensic anthropologists to abandon this typological approach to human variation, regardless of the terms used. Using a sample (n = 105) selected from the Terry and Coimbra identified reference collections, a blind experimental approach is used to test several metric methods and versions of methods for group estimation (Fordisc 3.0 and 3.1, and AncesTrees), that rely on different statistical approaches (discriminant function analysis and random forest algorithms, respectively) derived from different reference samples (Howells’ data in AncesTrees and Fordisc 3.1, and different forensic subsamples in Fordisc 3.0 and 3.1). The accuracy for matching premortem documented group designation is consistently low (36 to 50%) across testing parameters and consistent with other independent tests. The resu...

Research paper thumbnail of The Relative Compositional Changes of Buried Juvenile Porcine Ribs and Ulnae in the Early Postmortem Interval

Research paper thumbnail of Sternum maturation in an identified Portuguese skeletal sample

Campanacho V, Cardoso HFV, Chamberlain AT. 2018. Sternum maturation in an identified Portuguese s... more Campanacho V, Cardoso HFV, Chamberlain AT. 2018. Sternum maturation in an identified Portuguese skeletal sample. 87th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists. Austin, USA, 11th -14nd April.

Research paper thumbnail of Cabeço da Arruda in the 1860s

The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1... more The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1864, still preserved in two Lisbon museums, provides the occasion for a reminder of the importance of the burials in the history of European anthropology. The material is briefly summarized, together with a discussion on the location of the finds. An AMS analysis of a charcoal sample contained within a skull provides a date consonant with other evidence

Research paper thumbnail of Trends in adult stature of peoples who inhabited the modern Portuguese territory from the Mesolithic to the late 20thcentury

International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2009

This study documents long-term changes in stature from the Mesolithic to the late 20 th century i... more This study documents long-term changes in stature from the Mesolithic to the late 20 th century in the territory of modern Portugal. Data utilised originated from published sources and from a sample of the Lisbon identified skeletal collection, where long bone lengths were collected. Mean long bone lengths were obtained from 20 population samples and compiled into nine periods. Pooled long bone lengths for each period were then converted to stature estimates. Results show three major trends: (1) a slow increase in stature from prehistory to the Middle Ages; (2) a negative trend from the Middle Ages to the late 19 th century; and (3) a very rapid increase in mean stature during the second half of the 20 th century. The political and territorial stability of the Kingdom of Portugal may have contributed to the greater heights of the medieval Portuguese, compared with the Roman and Modern periods. The negative secular trend was rooted in poor and unsanitary living conditions and the spread of infectious disease, brought about by increased population growth and urbanisation. Although the end of the Middle Ages coincided with the age of discoveries, the population may not have benefited from the overall prosperity of this period. The 20 th century witnessed minor and slow changes in the health status of the Portuguese, but it was not until major improvements in social and economic conditions that were initiated in the 1960s, and further progress in the 1970s, that the Portuguese grew taller than ever before. Since the Middle Ages other European countries have experienced similar oscillations, but showed an earlier recovery in stature after the industrial period.

Research paper thumbnail of Examining the socioeconomic effects on third molar maturation in a Portuguese sample of children, adolescents and young adults

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2016

Introduction The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on tooth mineralization has seldom been eva... more Introduction The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on tooth mineralization has seldom been evaluated. This is important because SES can be used as a proxy for quantifying factors in the environmental that can impact mineralization but that can be difficult to measure directly, such as nutrition. Objective The objective of this study was to examine the effects of SES on third molar mineralization, using a sample of children, adolescents and young adults from Porto, Portugal. Methods Panoramic x-rays from 1747 patients (842 males and 904 females) were used in this study. Eight hundred and fifteen individuals were patients attending a private practice and were classified as high SES (384 males and 458 females), whereas the remaining 932 subjects (458 males and 474 females) were patients attending the dental clinic at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Porto and were classified as low SES. Inclusion of individuals on the each SES group was also based on parental and own occupation. The mandibular third molar was assessed for its maturation using Demirjian's stages. The median age of attainment of root stages was calculated for stages D to H, using logistic regression and compared between the high and low SES samples. Results Boys from the higher SES group show an earlier median age of attainment for stages D, E, and F. Girls from the higher SES group also show an earlier median age of attainment, but for stages D and E. Stages G and H did not show SES differences in both sexes. Conclusions Patients from the higher SES group showed a consistent advancement in maturation of the third molar, although SES differences diminish and eventually disappear in the last stages of root maturation. An accelerated effect related to overweight and obesity is suggested as the primary explanation.

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating age at death from the size of the growing epiphyses and metaphyses of the femur and tibia at the knee

Acta medicinae legalis et socialis, 2010

eStimatiNg age at death from the Size of the growiNg epiphySeS aNd metaphySeS of the femur aNd ti... more eStimatiNg age at death from the Size of the growiNg epiphySeS aNd metaphySeS of the femur aNd tibia at the kNee abstract: the main purpose of the present study is to evaluate the utility of the width of the epiphyses and metaphyses of the femur and tibia at the knee in estimating age at death in subadult skeletons. the study sample was taken from the Lisbon documented skeletal collection (nmnH, Lisbon, Portugal) and it comprises 84 individuals (males, 47; females, 37) between 9 months and 18 years. simple linear regression models and r2 values were calculated for the relationship between chronological age and epiphyseal and metaphyseal width for the sex-pooled sample. Linear regression models were calibrated to obtain prediction equations. mean standard error (mse) and mean 95% confidence interval (mcI) were calculated for all equations. Results show that epiphyseal widths correlate better with chronological age (femur: r2=0.91; tibia, r2=0.93) than metaphyseal widths (femur: r2=0.87; tibia, r2=0.89). At the knee, the distal femoral metaphysis is the most accurate site for age estimation (mse: 1.52 years; mcI: ±3.05 years).

Research paper thumbnail of Testing the predictions of the developmental origins of adult health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis on an identified human skeletal collection II: Age at death and femur length

Research paper thumbnail of The problem of age determination in living individuals

The increase of international illegal emigration has raise the need for forensic age estimation o... more The increase of international illegal emigration has raise the need for forensic age estimation of foreigners without valid identification documents. In this work the discussion is about some methods to estimate age in humans, with the emphasis on their importance and constrains. Some preliminary results and a brief statistical discussion, concerning its accuracy, are performed.

Research paper thumbnail of Establishing a minimum postmortem interval of human remains in an advanced state of skeletonization using the growth rate of bryophytes and plant roots

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2009

This paper illustrates the usefulness and efficiency of botanical evidence in establishing a mini... more This paper illustrates the usefulness and efficiency of botanical evidence in establishing a minimum postmortem interval (PMI). The case under analysis refers to the remains of an adult male in an advanced state of skeletonization recovered from a wooded area in northern Portugal. The skeleton showed several taphonomical changes, which included the presence of green algae, bryophytes, and growing shrub roots in, around, and through the remains. By determining the age of both the bryophytes and shrub roots, it was concluded that the minimum amount of time elapsed since death was 3 years, to which several months or a few years have to be added to account for the complete decomposition of the remains. The disappearance of the presumptive individual had occurred 6 years before and is fully consistent with the estimate of the PMI. This report illustrates a novel use of bryophytes in a forensic setting.

Research paper thumbnail of Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains using the post-natal development of the occipital bone

International Journal of Legal Medicine, 2013

Objectives: This study provides classical calibration regression formulae for age estimation from... more Objectives: This study provides classical calibration regression formulae for age estimation from the dimensions of unfused shoulder and pelvic girdle bones. Materials and methods: Age estimation models were derived from a sample of 160 known age and sex individuals (63 females and 97 males) aged birth to 12 years, selected from Portuguese and English skeletal collections. The sample was divided into two age groups at the age of 2 years, and formulae were obtained for the sexes separately and combined. Results: Measurements of the pelvis provide more precise age estimates than the shoulder. In the younger age group, the height and width of the ilium, and the height of the glenoid yield the most precise age estimates. In the older age group, the length of the clavicle provides the most precise estimates, followed by measurements of the pubis and ischium. Discussion: In the younger individuals (<2 years), age estimates based on measurements of the pelvic girdle seem to be as or more precise than those based on the length of long bones. In older individuals (2 years), estimates based on the measurements of the girdles are less precise than those based on the length of long bones. These age estimation formulae may be useful for fragmentary and incomplete material in archaeological and forensic contexts. The formulae are suitable for a variety of archeological populations living under adverse conditions. These conditions are similar to some "developing" countries, and hence the formulae may also be applicable to modern forensic remains from such environments.

Research paper thumbnail of Timing of fusion of the ischiopubic ramus from dry bone observations

HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, 2013

There is little information about the age at which the ischiopubic ramus fuses derived from dry b... more There is little information about the age at which the ischiopubic ramus fuses derived from dry bone observations. This study documents the age ranges for union of the ischiopubic ramus in a sample of 148 known sex and age skeletons from Portugal, with ages ranging from birth to 20 years, using a three-stage scheme. The oldest female with an unfused ramus is 11 years old and the oldest male is 8 years old. The youngest male with a completely fused ramus is 7 years old, and the youngest female is 5 years old. Despite the relatively large sample size, partial fusion was a rare event to record as only two individuals were at this stage and these seemed relatively older than expected (12 and 14 years of age). The likely age interval for partial union of the ramus was subsequently estimated from logistic regression, for both sexes separated and combined. In the sex-pooled sample, the inter-quartile range (25th-75th percentile) for the median age of fusion is 7-11 years and the 10th-90th percentile range is 4-15 years. The scarcity of data on the age of ischiopubic fusion may be related to biases in the sample or to fusion occurring rapidly in this anatomical location. Additional studies may be required to assess the accuracy of the ages reported here, but at present this study provides the most comprehensive assessment of timing of fusion at the ischiopubic ramus from observations of dry bone specimens.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the influence of occupational and physical activity on the rate of degenerative change of the pubic symphysis in portuguese males from the 19th to 20th century

American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2012

Among the many factors suggested as potential sources of variation in the rate of ageing of the p... more Among the many factors suggested as potential sources of variation in the rate of ageing of the pubic symphysis is occupational/physical activity, but this has yet to be demonstrated. This study&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#x27;s main goal is to determine whether occupational/physical activity influences the aging process in the pubic symphysis. We analyzed a sample of 161 males (18-96 years) from two Portuguese identified skeletal collections, where age-related features were recorded in the pubic symphysis as absent/present. The sample was divided in two groups according to the occupation of the individuals (manual and non-manual) and in two groups according to the femoral robusticity index (robust and gracile). The manual and robust groups represent individuals with more physically demanding occupations while the non-manual and gracile groups represent less physically demanding occupations. The possible influence of occupational/physical activity on the rate of ageing was evaluated by comparing the transition age for each age-related feature, between the two groups, using logistic regression. Only the ligamentous outgrowths on the ventral beveling showed a statistically significant younger age in the robust group, indicating a possible faster rate or early timing of change in the individuals with a more physically demanding activity compared with their gracile counterparts. Thus, these results do not provide significant support to the hypothesis that individuals with a greater demanding occupation or physical activity show greater pubic symphysis degeneration. Further testing of this hypothesis in other samples with individuals from known occupation is required. Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Research paper thumbnail of Age at death and linear enamel hypoplasias: Testing the effects of childhood stress and adult socioeconomic circumstances in premature mortality

American Journal of Human Biology, 2014

The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult soci... more The aim of this study was to test the association between linear enamel hypolasias and adult socioeconomic circumstances with age at death in a modern skeletal sample of known age. Specifically, this study wishes to test whether there is a relationship between early life stressors, environmental quality in adult life and premature mortality. Methods: The presence/absence of LEH and the number of LEH episodes were recorded in 113 adult males from the Lisbon identified skeletal collection. The association between LEH and age was quantified using linear regression and binary logistic regression models, calculating crude and adjusted linear regression coefficients and odds ratios. The models were adjusted for year of birth, socioeconomic and migration status, and cause of death. Results: The presence and number of LEH were related to premature mortality. Individuals expressing at least one enamel defect survived 9.0 years less or were 2.5 times more likely to die before 53 years of age compared to individuals with no LEH. However, when controlling for the confounding factors considered, the association between LEH and age became nonsignificant. Conclusions: The results indicate that although early life stressors, identified as LEH, seem strongly associated with premature mortality, adulthood socioeconomic circumstances accounts for most of the decreased longevity. This suggests that either macroscopically identified LEH in the permanent canine do not measure stressors early in life, or that a cumulative adversity model is a more adequate explanation. Am.

Research paper thumbnail of Chapter Four

The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1... more The identification of osteological evidence from the earliest excavation of Cabeço da Arruda in 1864, still preserved in two Lisbon museums, provides the occasion for a reminder of the importance of the burials in the history of European anthropology. The material is briefly summarized, together with a discussion on the location of the finds. An AMS analysis of a charcoal sample contained within a skull provides a date consonant with other evidence.

Research paper thumbnail of Is Demirjian’s original method really useful for age estimation in a forensic context?

Forensic Science, Medicine, and Pathology, 2015

The suitability of Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;... more The suitability of Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s method for forensic age estimation has been systematically questioned. The aim of this study is to further assess the reliability of Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s original method in forensic age estimation using a sample of Portuguese children. 564 panoramic radiographs of Portuguese boys and girls between 6 and 16 years of age were evaluated using Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s method. Dental age (DA) was determined using the 50th percentile for the maturity score obtained for each age group. The mean difference between chronological age (CA) and dental age (DA) and the mean absolute difference between CA and DA were calculated for each age group. Paired t tests were used to test the statistical significance of mean differences between CA and DA. For each individual, a 94 % confidence interval was calculated for estimated DA, using the 3rd and 97th percentiles in Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s conversion tables. Chronological age was overestimated in boys, in every age group; mean differences between CA and DA were statistically significant, expect for age 7. In girls, chronological age was overestimated in the 10-15 year-old age group. The difference between CA and DA was highest in the 12 years olds for both sexes. The 94 % confidence intervals did not include the true chronological age in all 6, 13, and 15 year-old girls, and all 14 and 15 year-old boys. Only a small portion of the individuals in the remaining age groups had their true chronological age falling within the probable age interval. Results show a systematic bias and consistent inaccuracy in estimating age from dental development using Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s original method, making this methodology unsuitable for age estimation in the study sample. These results add to published evidence which suggests that Demirjian&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s method is not suitable and should be abandoned altogether for forensic age estimation purposes.

Research paper thumbnail of Author’s response to reviews Title: Age estimation in three distinct East Asian population groups using southern Han Chinese dental reference dataset Authors

Research paper thumbnail of The Effects of Bilateral Asymmetry in Long Bone Length on Juvenile Age Predictions

Cardoso HFV, Abrantes J, Humphrey LT. 2014. Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains fro... more Cardoso HFV, Abrantes J, Humphrey LT. 2014. Age estimation of immature human skeletal remains from the diaphyseal length of the long bones in the postnatal period. Int J Legal Med 128:809-825. Primeau C, Friis L, Sejrsen B, Lynnerup N. 2016. A method for estimating age of medieval sub-adults from infancy to adulthood based on long bone length. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:135-145. Stull KE, L’Abb e EN, Ousley SD. 2014. Using multivariate adaptive regression splines to estimate subadult age from diaphyseal dimensions. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:376-386.  26 juveniles belonging to the skeletal reference collection curated at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, in Lisbon, Portugal.

Research paper thumbnail of Structural violence and the nature of cemetery-based skeletal reference collections

The sourcing of cadavers for North American skeletal reference collections occurred immediately a... more The sourcing of cadavers for North American skeletal reference collections occurred immediately after death and targeted the poor and marginalised. In Europe, collections sourced bodies that were buried and unclaimed after some time in cemeteries with no perpetual care mandate, and may have also targeted the underprivileged. The relationship between socio-economic status (SES) and abandonment was examined in a sample of unclaimed remains (603 adults and 98 children) collected from cemeteries in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, that were incorporated in a collection. Results demonstrate that low SES individuals are not more likely to be abandoned nor to be incorporated in the collection than higher SES individuals. Furthermore, historical data indicate that the poorest were not incorporated into the collection, because of burial practices. Although the accumulation of collections in North America was facilitated by structural violence that targeted the poor and marginalised, this phenom...

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating Menarcheal Status in Juvenile Skeletal Remains from Dental and Skeletal Maturation

49th CABA-ACAB Annual Meeting, 2022

Sexual maturity in adolescents corresponds with the peak height velocity and the first occurrence... more Sexual maturity in adolescents corresponds with the peak height velocity and the first occurrence of the menstrual cycle in girls. Despite the importance of the onset of puberty, limited studies have been conducted to estimate menarcheal status and the impact of this transitional period on skeletal and dental maturation. This study uses logistic regression to examine the relationship between menarcheal status (post-menarche or pre-menarche) and the development of all assessed bones and teeth. Demirjian guideline was considered to evaluate Dental maturation, and the Tanner-Whitehouse method was used to estimate the stages of skeletal ossifications in the hand/wrist of thirty-three girls at the age of 6-19 at the University of Montreal Growth Study. The results illustrate that the maturation of the distal radius provides the strongest relationship with the menarcheal status, followed by the phalange of the fifth finger, the second molar, and the canine. Combining any of these indicators did not approve any indicators of menarcheal status. This research can offer a reliable method to examine the menarcheal status in skeletal remains, provide insight into the reproductive shelf-life, social and nutritional conditions of past populations.

Research paper thumbnail of GROWTH STATUS OF SURVIVORS AND NON- SURVIVORS OF SKELETAL TUBERCULOSIS: THE RELEVANCE OF RECORDS OF CHILD ADMISSIONS TO THE SANT'ANA SANITARIUM, PORTUGAL (1904-1953) FOR HEALTH STUDIES OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL POPULATIONS

Research paper thumbnail of A Reappraisal of Developing Permanent Tooth Length as an Estimate of Age in Human Immature Skeletal Remains

Age estimation is a key aspect of the analysis of immature human remains, both in forensic and ar... more Age estimation is a key aspect of the analysis of immature human remains, both in forensic and archaeological contexts. Quantitative methods of age estimation have been shown to be more precise, but few of these methods have been developed for the dentition.

Research paper thumbnail of Socioeconomic status and fatal accidents in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Linear regression models are provided in . The greatest predictor of fatal accidents rate was the... more Linear regression models are provided in . The greatest predictor of fatal accidents rate was the % of families living below the poverty line. The next greatest predictor was the % of households led by a single female. A model with these two variables yielded an R 2 of 0.52.

Research paper thumbnail of Small but significant: Age-at-death estimation from the developing epiphyses and metaphyses of the six long bones

The epiphyses have generally larger MSEs than the diaphyses [2] of the same long bone, but in som... more The epiphyses have generally larger MSEs than the diaphyses [2] of the same long bone, but in some cases the difference is comparable or relatively small ( Compared to diaphyseal models [2], MSEs are also mostly larger for the metaphyses in individuals younger than and older than 2 years, though sometimes marginally . Some metaphyses perform better than the diaphysis in individuals younger than age 2 (e.g., the distal tibia in ).

Research paper thumbnail of Preliminary Testing of Facial Approximation Methods for Finding the Pronasale in Children

Research paper thumbnail of Does the timiof basilar suture closure provide reliable information for age estimation of unidentified human skeletal remains in a forensic context

Research paper thumbnail of Auxological Approaches to the Study of Skeletal Populations: An Example Using a Modern Documented Skeletal Collection

Research paper thumbnail of Is the sternum reliable for stature estimation? (In Portuguese)

Em antropologia forense, os quatro principais atributos que determinam compõem o perfil biológico... more Em antropologia forense, os quatro principais atributos que determinam compõem o perfil biológico são o sexo, a idade, a estatura e a origem populacional do indivíduo. Para a estimativa da estatura, a utilização dos ossos longos intactos, especialmente os dos membros inferiores, parece ser a que fornece resultados mais exactos. 1 Em contextos em que os elementos preferenciais do esqueleto possam não estar disponíveis ou intactos, as medições do esterno podem revelar-se úteis na determinação da estatura. Em 2009, Menezes et al. 2 apresentou um modelo método para a estimativa da estatura a partir do comprimento do esterno macerado de indivíduos do sexo masculino do sul da Índia.

Research paper thumbnail of Testing the predictions of the developmental origins of adult health and disease (DOHaD) hypothesis on an identified human skeletal collection II: Age at death and femur length

Research paper thumbnail of Cranial growth as an indicator of age in juvenile skeletal remains

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating age at death from the size of the growing epiphyses and metaphyses of the femur and tibia at the knee

• Statistically significant size differences due to laterality was only detected for the distal f... more • Statistically significant size differences due to laterality was only detected for the distal femoral metaphysis in the male sample. • For intra-observer error, all variables had MAD values under 0.29mm, TEM values under 0.31mm and R values above 0.999. For inter-observer error, all variables had MAD values under 0.5mm, TEM values under 0.9mm and R values above 0.998.

Research paper thumbnail of Reliability of Skeletal Maturation of the Knee for Age Estimates in Skeletal Remains

Research paper thumbnail of Can we accurately estimate the age of non-adult human skeletal remains from measurements of the long bones? A test of published regression equations

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the reliability of facial approximations: A test using four human skulls from the Lisbon collection (In Portuguese)

Research paper thumbnail of Socioeconomic differences in tooth calcification and age estimation of immature skeletal remains in forensic practice

Research paper thumbnail of Intra- and Inter-observer Error Associated with Radiographic Osteometry of Juveniles (In Portuguese)

O grau de concordância intra e inter-observador constitui uma medida utilizada para avaliar a rep... more O grau de concordância intra e inter-observador constitui uma medida utilizada para avaliar a replicabilidade e reprodutibilidade, respetivamente, dos dados recolhidos pelo mesmo observador (intra-observador) em dois momentos diferentes ou por vários observadores (inter-observador). É uma importante medida para avaliar o quão fiável é determinada variável. A medição radiográfica de ossos longos pode ser utilizada na estimativa da idade em indivíduos não adultos. Contudo, não se conhece bem a fiabilidade destas medições, particularmente quando as imagens radiográficas têm relativa baixa qualidade. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o grau de replicabilidade e reprodutibilidade de medições radiográficas de ossos longos. INTRODUÇÃO A amostra utilizada é constituída por: -23 indivíduos do sexo masculino; -idades compreendidas entre 1 e 12 anos. As radiografias foram cedidas pelo Hospital São João do Porto. Todas as radiografias são do membro superior e foram selecionadas apenas indivíduos de origem portuguesa, que não apresentassem história de mal formação ou patologia óssea e sem lesões traumáticas esqueléticas. Foi medido o comprimento máximo da diáfise do rádio com recurso ao software GIMP, utilizando a ferramenta de medida e procurando replicar a medição descrita para os ossos secos ou macerados (Buikstra e Ubelaker, 1994). Utilizaram-se radiografias ânteroposteriores (AP) e a resolução das imagens é 72 x 72 dpi (568 x 387 pixels). A comparação das medidas do mesmo observador e entre observadores diferentes foi efetuada com base no cálculo do erro técnico de medida (TEM), erro técnico de medida relativo (TEM%) do coeficiente de fiabilidade (R) e do teste t para amostras emparelhadas.

Research paper thumbnail of The Importance of Forensic Botany for the Estimation of the Post-mortem Period and for the Positive Identification of Skeletonized Remains: A Case Report (In Portuguese)

de 2008, foram encontrados num local florestado do concelho de Celorico de Basto, restos cadavéri... more de 2008, foram encontrados num local florestado do concelho de Celorico de Basto, restos cadavéricos humanos esqueletizados . Os restos, bem como as peças de roupa que os acompanhavam, foram removidos para o Gabinete Médico-Legal de Guimarães e, posteriormente, para a Delegação do Norte do INML, para se tentar proceder à sua identificação e determinação da causa de morte do indivíduo.

Research paper thumbnail of Brief Epidemiological Profile of the Skeletal Reference Collection housed at the Bocage Museum (National Museum of Natural History, Lisbon) and its Relevance to Paleopathological and Paleoepidemiological Studies (In Portuguese)

Research paper thumbnail of Estimating stature from human skeletal remains: Does it matter whether we are estimating living or cadaver stature?

Research paper thumbnail of Small but significant: Age-at-death estimation from the developing epiphyses and metaphyses of the six long bones (SfAA 2016 Poster)

No studies thus far have examined the utility of the epiphyses and metaphyses of the long bones i... more No studies thus far have examined the utility of the epiphyses and metaphyses of the long bones in depth for the purposes of age estimation, with exception of those at the knee. This study explores and models the relationship between these bone portions and age, for all six of the long bones.

( For published paper see: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajpa.23081/abstract )