Interobserver variation affects accuracy of inference in life history studies using cementochronology.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Cementochronology is a method for assessing chronological age and identifying other life-history parameters (LHPs) from incremental lines of acellular extrinsic fibre cementum (AEFC) in most mammalian teeth. The aim of this study is to question the accuracy of this technique when used as a stand-alone age estimation method, and to examine how the number of observers may alter accuracy.

Design

This research is based on an extant clinical study conducted on 10 human teeth with the patients' anamnestic data. Nine observers used cementochronology to count AEFC incremental lines from 82 digital images. The counting was performed at three non-standardised areas on each image, totalling 246 counts per observer. Resultant observer counts were compared using the coefficient

SUBMITTER: Edinborough M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11600041 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature