demrat: an R package for predicting growth and fertility rates in skeletal samples using age-at-death ratios

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F49777513%3A23330%2F24%3A43972814" target="_blank" >RIV/49777513:23330/24:43972814 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="http://puvodni.mzm.cz/Anthropologie/article.php?ID=2413" target="_blank" >http://puvodni.mzm.cz/Anthropologie/article.php?ID=2413</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.26720/anthro.24.02.16.1" target="_blank" >10.26720/anthro.24.02.16.1</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

demrat: an R package for predicting growth and fertility rates in skeletal samples using age-at-death ratios

Original language description

The growth and fertility rates of past populations can be estimated by analyzing the age-at-death distribution of skeletal samples. The procedure involves regressing growth or fertility rate on the age-at-death ratio, which is a proxy that captures the number of skeletons in two broad age-at-death categories (e.g., D5+/D20+). Galeta and Pankowská (2023, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286580) recently developed a new prediction algorithm. They proposed to estimate growth and fertility rates using a unique prediction formula for each skeletal sample. Each formula is based on a unique reference set of simulated skeletal samples that match the size of the target real skeletal sample. The simulated skeletal samples are generated from populations with similar mortality levels to those assumed in the time period represented by the target skeletal sample. A correct setting of the sample size and the level of mortality increases the accuracy of the estimate. The approach, however, is computationally intensive because it involves generating many simulated reference skeletal samples. In this paper, we present the demrat package, written in the R programming language, which automates the simulation. The functions of the package provide a complete workflow from a real skeletal sample to the prediction of demographic rates. In addition, we offer a web application that allows non-R users to deploy predictions using the demrat package with a user-friendly, point-and-click graphical interface. Although the demrat package allows for estimating demographic rates for a single skeletal sample, we recommend predicting demographic rates in a larger set of skeletal samples and producing smoothed general demographic trends over large areas and/or long periods of time.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

50404 - Anthropology, ethnology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA19-17810S" target="_blank" >GA19-17810S: Fertility and population growth in Central Europe from Neolithic to Medieval times: an application of stochastic simulations</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2024

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Anthropologie

ISSN

0323-1119

e-ISSN

2570-9127

Volume of the periodical

62

Issue of the periodical within the volume

2

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

83-95

UT code for WoS article

001309067300002

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85216492961