Determination of age using the skull

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Age estimation using a skull is often banded in quite broad terms:

• Child/adolescent (based primarily on tooth eruption patterns)

• Young Adult

• Middle aged

• Elderly

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The various stages of adulthood can be estimated by tooth eruption and wear (see, for example, Mays, pages 52-56). 

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Age can also be estimated by cranial suture closure. The frontal or metopic suture usually heals in early adulthood, but can persist in some individuals as a non-metric variation (i.e. some people genetically retain the metopic suture throughout life).

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Closure of the sagittal suture can occur in older age in skulls.

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Below are some examples of skull sutures.

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