Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex determination from the occipital condyle
AU - Gapert, Rene
AU - Black, Sue
AU - Last, Jason
PY - 2009/4
Y1 - 2009/4
N2 - Fragmentary human remains compromised by different types of inhumation, or physical insults such as explosions, fires, and mutilations may frustrate the use of traditional morphognostic sex determination methods. The basicranium is protected by a large soft tissue mass comprising muscle, tendon, and ligaments. As such, the occipital region may prove useful for sex identification in cases of significantly fragmented remains. The aims of this paper are to (1) evaluate sexual dimorphism in British cranial bases by manually recorded unilateral and bilateral condylar length and width as well as intercondylar measurements and (2) develop discriminant functions for sex determination for this cranial sample. The crania selected for this study are part of the 18th-19th century documented skeletal collection of St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London. Adult human skulls (n = 146; male 75/female 71) were measured to derive statistical functions. Results indicated that expression of sexual dimorphism in the occipital condylar region within the St. Bride's population is demonstrable but low. Cross-validated classification accuracy ranged between 69.2 and 76.7%, and sex bias ranged from 0.3 to 9.7%. Therefore, the use of discriminant functions derived from occipital condyles, especially in British skeletal populations, should only be considered in cases of fragmented cranial bases when no other morphognostic or morphometric method can be utilized for sex determination. Am J Phys Anthropol 138:384-394, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
AB - Fragmentary human remains compromised by different types of inhumation, or physical insults such as explosions, fires, and mutilations may frustrate the use of traditional morphognostic sex determination methods. The basicranium is protected by a large soft tissue mass comprising muscle, tendon, and ligaments. As such, the occipital region may prove useful for sex identification in cases of significantly fragmented remains. The aims of this paper are to (1) evaluate sexual dimorphism in British cranial bases by manually recorded unilateral and bilateral condylar length and width as well as intercondylar measurements and (2) develop discriminant functions for sex determination for this cranial sample. The crania selected for this study are part of the 18th-19th century documented skeletal collection of St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, London. Adult human skulls (n = 146; male 75/female 71) were measured to derive statistical functions. Results indicated that expression of sexual dimorphism in the occipital condylar region within the St. Bride's population is demonstrable but low. Cross-validated classification accuracy ranged between 69.2 and 76.7%, and sex bias ranged from 0.3 to 9.7%. Therefore, the use of discriminant functions derived from occipital condyles, especially in British skeletal populations, should only be considered in cases of fragmented cranial bases when no other morphognostic or morphometric method can be utilized for sex determination. Am J Phys Anthropol 138:384-394, 2009. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
KW - crania
KW - sex estimation
KW - skull base
KW - forensic anthropology
KW - St. Bride's crypt
KW - FORAMEN MAGNUM
KW - MORPHOMETRIC-ANALYSIS
KW - SKELETAL REMAINS
KW - CRANIA
KW - SKULL
KW - DIMORPHISM
KW - DIFFERENTIATION
KW - IDENTIFICATION
KW - POPULATION
KW - DIAGNOSIS
U2 - 10.1002/ajpa.20946
DO - 10.1002/ajpa.20946
M3 - Journal article
VL - 138
SP - 384
EP - 394
JO - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
JF - American Journal of Physical Anthropology
SN - 0002-9483
IS - 4
ER -