Research Progress on Human Age Estimation from the DNA Methylation of Skeletal Materials
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/n7qrps18Keywords:
Epigenetic Clock, DNA Methylation, Age Estimation, SkeletonAbstract
Within forensic science, age estimation supports the identification of unknown individuals and carries considerable significance for the investigation and resolution of both criminal and civil cases. Epigenetic clocks, which are age prediction models built on DNA methylation, have become a focus of research in forensic age estimation. Most existing work constructs epigenetic age clocks from biological materials such as blood, saliva, buccal epithelial cells, or semen and attains a mean absolute error of roughly five years, whereas research and application centered on skeletal materials remain comparatively limited. This review first traces the three generations through which epigenetic clocks have evolved, moving from single tissue linear regression models to composite models that integrate phenotypic indicators and then to models that assess the pace of aging. It then gives a systematic account of progress in human age estimation based on DNA methylation in skeletal materials and offers an integrated analysis across sample type and target sites, detection methods and technologies, and data processing and model construction.
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