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Biomedical subjects

D H Ubelaker

Publications and source records attributed to D H Ubelaker.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Differentiation of perimortem and postmortem trauma using taphonomic indicators.

Skeletal remains discovered at a construction site in Georgia display classic "butterfly" fractures on several long bones. Although this fracture pattern is usually associated with perimortem trauma, in this case taphonomic indicators demonstrate that they can also occur on dry defleshed bone. Variations in bone color at the fracture sites indicate recent postmortem trauma. Analysis of the directions of force and points of impact indicates that the bones were most likely disarticulated when the trauma occurred.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Hyoid fracture and strangulation.

Observation of hyoid fracture in skeletonized remains offers potentially valuable information on the history of the skeleton or evidence of foul play, or both. Perimortem hyoid fracture frequently indicates manual strangulation, although ligature strangulation, hanging, and other forms of trauma to the neck cannot be ruled out without additional evidence. Such fractures are rare in children and infants, since the hyoid components are not fully ossified and are more flexible than in adults. Both antemortem and postmortem origins of the fractures must also be considered.

Airway Obstruction↗
PubMed1992

Computer-assisted facial reproduction.

Electronic imaging equipment originally developed to illustrate aging of missing persons has been utilized in facial reproduction from skeletal remains. The technique produces rapid, economical, and realistic facial images in a manner that eliminates the need for photography and maximizes interaction and communication between the artist and the anthropologist.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Patterns of demographic change in the Americas.

Considerable scholarly debate has focused on the nature of demographic change in the Americas before and after 1492. Recent research on human skeletal samples and related archeological materials suggests that morbidity and mortality were increasing throughout much of the Western Hemisphere before 1492 in response to increased population density, increased sedentism, and changing subsistence. The evidence suggests that after 1492 population reduction was caused not by continental pandemics but by localized or regional epidemics augmented by social and economic disruption. The twentieth century has witnessed remarkable Native American population recovery, fueled both by improvements in health care and changing definitions of "being Indian."

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1991

Differentiation of hydrocephalic calf and human calvariae.

Occasionally, partial calvariae of hydrocephalic calves are found in forensic contexts and mistakenly identified as human. Such specimens can be properly identified through immunological assessment of associated soft tissue, microscopic analysis of associated hair, and morphological comparison with documented museum specimens. Morphological comparison should focus on the form of the occiput, supraorbital grooves, and bulbous vault and presence of coronal processes.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Positive identification of American Indian skeletal remains from radiograph comparison.

The case reported here documents how comparative data gleaned from study of museum collections enabled positive identification of an American Indian homicide victim through radiograph comparison. In particular, the shape of the lateral border of the scapula proved to be a unique anatomical feature, appropriate for establishing positive identification.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Alterations in human bones and teeth as a result of restricted sun exposure and contact with corrosive agents.

Skeletal remains were discovered in an unused cistern near the Omaha, Nebraska airport and were positively identified through comparison of antemortem and postmortem dental radiographs. Although nearly nine years had elapsed between death and discovery, the bones and teeth revealed evidence of the application of a corrosive substance at or about the time of death, as well as an unusual restricted response to sun exposure, that contributed to the prosecution and murder conviction of a member of Hell's Angels in the Omaha area.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Estimating age at death from immature human skeletons: an overview.

Literature on the estimation of age at death of immature human skeletons is critically reviewed. Those estimating age at death for forensic science purposes should consider all available data, but especially rely upon the most appropriate and accurate methods. Estimates should reflect the possible error resulting from the sex differences and population variability known to be associated with the growth process.

Adult↗
PubMed1979

Skeletal evidence for kneeling in prehistoric Ecuador.

Bony changes on the superior distal surface of the metatarsals and the superior proximal surface of the first proximal foot phalanx are described in a prehistoric skeletal sample from Coastal Ecuador. The location and morphology of the alterations, as well as their association with femoral "squatting facets" strongly suggests they were produced by prolonged hyperdorsiflexion of the toes, probably resulting from habitual kneeling posture. Comparative data are presented from five other New World skeletal samples.

Anthropology, Physical↗
PubMed1977

Skeletal growth of the protohistoric Arikara.

The longitudinal growth of the long bones and growth in breadth of the ilium are assessed for a population of protohistoric Arikara Indians from South Dakota through the correlation of skeletal measurements with estimates of chronological age at death. Comparison of the Arikara growth data with those from other Indian samples (Indian Knoll and Late Woodland, Illinois) reveals similar rates of bone growth, when compensation is made for methodological variation. As predicted from documented variation in adult statures, the Indian samples indicate slower growth rates than those of Whites but faster than those of Eskimos.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

A comparison of two methods for the microscopic determination of age at death.

The precision and accuracy of the Kerley and Ahlqvist-Damsten microscopic methods of age determination are compared. Both methods were applied to the same sample of 40 femoral thin sections of documented age at death. The results indicate that (1) both methods can be used with equal precision, as suggested by comparable observer errors; and (2) the Kerley method produces overall more accurate age estimates. The low previously published standard error of the Ahlqvist-Damsten method (6.71 years) apparently results from the uneven age distribution and small size (20) of their sample.

Adult↗