Evolution of life history patterns in humans: perspectives from human skeletal remains

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The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that paleodemographic data from skeletal remains represent an appropriate adult mortality profile. This study examined well-preserved auricular surfaces of 86 individuals, which are individuals of 15 years of age and above. Age estimation of the auricular surfaces was performed using two techniques-the original method of Lovejoy et al. ([1985] American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 68:15-28) and the revised method of Buckberry and Chamberlain ([2002] American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 119:231-239). The results indicate important findings on the mortality profile of the Jomon people. First, the revised estimation has older age distributions with the majority of individuals over 65 years of age. Second, the revised estimation increases the life expectancy at the age of 15 from 16 years to 32 years.