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Short Course in Advanced Statistical Methods and its Applications for Improving Biological Profile Estimations

by Ed Hagen — last modified May 13, 2011 11:20 AM
August 1 – 5, 2011. Global research trends underscore the importance for new technological advancements in anthropology. This is coupled with a need for additional osteological research and innovative means to address - in a statistically rigorous manner - a number of long - recognized problems with standard procedures. Whether physical anthropologists work with ancient or modern human remains, they need to continually update and test methods applied to constructing a biological profile. The introduction of computerized databases, such as FORDISC 3.0 (sex, ancestry, and stature) and Transition Analysis (age), provide mathematical measures to estimate accuracy and precision. These computerized models create standard reference points for communication in the discipline.
Short Course in Advanced Statistical Methods and its Applications for Improving Biological Profile Estimations

This 5-day course addresses: 


• Use of statistics in anthropology 

• Advanced statistical principles 

• Benefits and pitfalls of non-metric assessments of ancestry and sex 

• Metric estimation of sex, ancestry, and stature using FORDISC 3 

• Interpretation of ancestry within the realm of human variation 

• Estimation of age at death using Transition Analysis (ADBOU) 

• Future directions in age estimation, especially for adult skeletal remains. 


Course attendees are to receive training on the ADBOU programme and receive a copy of the software and bone-scoring manual (XP version). The use and interpretation of FORDISC 3.0 is covered, and a custom cranial database will be discussed. The course is to be presented by Stephen D. Ousley, PhD (Mercyhurst College) and George R. Milner, PhD (Pennsylvania State University) and hosted by the Forensic Anthropology Research Centre, Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. The course is to be held in the Basic Medical Sciences Building, Prinshof Campus, Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa from 1 to 5 August, 2011 between 08:00 – 17:00. 


WHO SHOULD ENROL? Physical anthropologists, forensic anthropologists, archaeologists, and researchers who retrieve, analyse and interpret data from human skeletal remains, both ancient and modern. COURSE FEE R3 800 per delegate. All course notes, a statistical programme (ABDOU) and refreshments are included. ENQUIRIES REGARDING COURSE CONTENT For a complete workshop program or general questions please contact: Ericka N. LABBE: ericka.labbe@up.ac.za. – Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa. Tel: +27-12-319-2438, Fax +27-12-319-2240, Cell: +27-82-213-2285. REGISTRATION & ENQUIRIES Tessa Booysen, Tel: +27 12 420 5026, Fax: +27 86 631 8564, Cell: +27 83 704 4423, E-mail: tessa.ce@up.ac.za

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