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Objectives: Heat exposure can lead to apparently random osteometric changes that hinder the application of metric methods used for biological profiling. The impracticality of using objective and burn‐specific osteometric methods reduces the chances of establishing the biological profiles of unknown individuals based on their skeletal remains. We investigated the potential of chemometry analysis based on infrared spectroscopy to predict the amount of heat‐induced osteometric changes and how this reflected into sex estimation. Material and methods: Bones from 41 identified adult skeletons (24 females and 17 males with ages between 62 and 90 years old) were experimentally burnt to maximum temperatures ranging from 450°C to 1,100°C (attained after 65 to 240 min). Measurements were taken both before and after each experiment and powder samples were analyzed through FTIR‐ATR. Correlations among heat‐induced metric changes and chemometric indices (crystallinity index; B‐type carbonates; carbonate [A + B] to carbonate B ratio; hydroxyl to phosphate ratio; 630 cm−1, 1450 cm−1, 3572 cm−1, and 3642 cm−1) were tested. Significant variables were used to build regression models to predict heat‐induced metric change which were then tested on an independent set of samples. Agreement in sex estimation between the pre‐ and post‐burnt samples was also evaluated. Results: All indices were significantly correlated to heat‐induced metric changes (α =.01) and the highest correlations were obtained for the 630 cm−1, 3572 cm−1, and crystallinity index. We confirmed that regression models based on chemometrics obtained from infrared spectra through FTIR‐ATR are better at estimating heat‐induced metric changes affecting bone and at sexing remains than other osteometric methods such as those based on correction factors or on metric references specific to calcined bones. Discussion: Regression models avoid the subjectivity associated with the application of other methods. While the latter can be applied only to calcined bones, which is difficult to assess sometimes, regression models can be applied to all bones regardless of their condition. Also, regression models have the advantage of allowing to infer about heat‐induced metric change on a case‐by‐case basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aging techniques that use the posterior or middle part of the pelvis are of interest because this part of the body is very resistant to decay. In a preliminary study, acetabular criteria correlated with age were isolated. In a second study, three acetabular criteria and four auricular surface criteria were described and it was demonstrated that it is of interest to associate these criteria. The goal of the present study was to test these criteria in a larger sample and to elaborate a standardized procedure for the use of these criteria. The study concerned 462 os coxae (hip bones) of known age and sex. All of the criteria are correlated with age. Establishing a score allows a better correlation with age with lower intra-/inter-observer variability. Seven categories of overall score corresponding to eight age groups were defined and the probabilities of belonging to an age group depending on the overall score were calculated. The first main advantage of this procedure is that it is still applicable when only some parts of the body remain. The other benefit is its ability to discriminate older people. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]