TY - JOUR
T1 - Determination of Sex in South African Blacks by Discriminant Function Analysis of Mandibular Linear Dimensions
AU - Franklin, Daniel
AU - O'Higgins, P.
AU - Oxnard, Charles
AU - Dadour, Ian
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - The determination of sex is a critical component in forensic anthropological investigation. The literature attests to numerous metrical standards, each utilizing diffetent skeletal elements, for sex determination in South A frican Blacks. Metrical standards are popular because they provide a high degree of expected accuracy and are less error-prone than subjective nonmetric visual techniques. We note, however, that there appears to be no established metric mandible discriminant function standards for sex determination in this population.We report here on a preliminary investigation designed to evaluate whether the mandible is a practical element for sex determination in South African Blacks. The sample analyzed comprises 40 nonpathological Zulu individuals drawn from the R.A. Dart Collection. Ten linear measurements, obtained from mathematically trans-formed three-dimensional landmark data, are analyzed using basic univariate statistics and discriminant function analyses. Seven of the 10 measurements examined are found to be sexually dimorphic; the dimensions of the ramus are most dimorphic. The sex classification accuracy of the discriminant functions ranged from 72.5 to 87.5% for the univariate method, 92.5% for the stepwise method, and 57.5 to 95% for the direct method. We conclude that the mandible is an extremely useful element for sex determination in this population.
AB - The determination of sex is a critical component in forensic anthropological investigation. The literature attests to numerous metrical standards, each utilizing diffetent skeletal elements, for sex determination in South A frican Blacks. Metrical standards are popular because they provide a high degree of expected accuracy and are less error-prone than subjective nonmetric visual techniques. We note, however, that there appears to be no established metric mandible discriminant function standards for sex determination in this population.We report here on a preliminary investigation designed to evaluate whether the mandible is a practical element for sex determination in South African Blacks. The sample analyzed comprises 40 nonpathological Zulu individuals drawn from the R.A. Dart Collection. Ten linear measurements, obtained from mathematically trans-formed three-dimensional landmark data, are analyzed using basic univariate statistics and discriminant function analyses. Seven of the 10 measurements examined are found to be sexually dimorphic; the dimensions of the ramus are most dimorphic. The sex classification accuracy of the discriminant functions ranged from 72.5 to 87.5% for the univariate method, 92.5% for the stepwise method, and 57.5 to 95% for the direct method. We conclude that the mandible is an extremely useful element for sex determination in this population.
U2 - 10.1385/Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol.:2:4:263
DO - 10.1385/Forensic Sci. Med. Pathol.:2:4:263
M3 - Article
SN - 1547-769X
VL - 2
SP - 263
EP - 268
JO - Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
JF - Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology
IS - 4
ER -