Annika Hennies

Titel der Masterarbeit:
Age estimations by means of changes of microstructural features in different skeletal elements

Bones are, apart from the teeth, the hardest structures inside the body and a basic unit of the skeletal system. Despite this fact, bones are often stereotyped as simply a protective and supportive framework for the body. After birth the human skeleton is composed of 270 bones and 20 deciduous teeth. In an adult body it is normally made up of approximately 206 individual bones and 32 teeth, which were essential to our daily life. Bone tissue is dynamic and constantly in conversion as well as the development of teeth. Knowing these reconstructions is necessary to understand the appearance or absence of structures during the development of bones. This makes it possible to estimate the age at death of an individual.
The aim of this master thesis is to compare the bone microstructure of the upper and lower extremities and in addition an adjustment with the estimation of age with the help of the incremental lines of teeth. This comparison enables an assessment whether certain bones are suitable for age estimations and if they differ in a determined direction. It is also appropriate to clarify, whether age determination with tooth improves age estimation with different bones. This is of particular importance for skeletal remains where not all bones are present, or may not be assigned. This is the case for example in cremated bones or in other disturbed skeletal remains.