Variations in Age of

The objective of this study is to determine the age of individuals based on the ectocranial closure of the lambdoidal, coronal, and sagittal crests. Data was collected from 14 different skulls all between the ages of 25-50 years old, the sutures observed were the midlambdoid, lambda, obelion, anterior sagittal, and bregma. Firstly, a simple identification of the skulls sex was made using distinctive dimorphic traits such as the nuchal crest, mastoid process, supra-orbital ridge, and mental eminence. The degree of suture closure was then based on a scale of zero to 3 in terms of suture closure, 0 being no closure and 3 being completely fused. Upon further evaluation of the degree of closure, a positive correlation was observed between age and closure degree. However, differences could be seen in the closure of male versus female sutures such that closure in males occurred earlier than in females. This contributes to variability in aging based on suture closure, as distinctions between male and female occur at different points of the life cycle.