Sexing the human skull through the mastoid process

Area of Science:

• Forensic anthropology
• Craniometry
• Sex determination

Background:

• Accurate sex determination from skeletal remains is crucial in forensic anthropology.
• Traditional methods may have limitations in certain populations or conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of xerographic projection measurements of specific craniometric points for human skull sex determination.
• To evaluate the area formed by the porion, asterion, and mastoidale points for sex differentiation.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed 60 human skulls (30 male, 30 female).
• Obtained xerographic copies of each skull side.
• Measured the area of a triangle formed by porion, asterion, and mastoidale points (right, left, and total areas).

Main Results:

• Significant differences were found between male and female skulls across all three measured areas (right, left, total).
• The total area measurement exhibited the least overlap between sexes (36.67%).
• Male skulls had a mean total area of 1505.32 mm², exceeding the maximum female value; female skulls had a mean of 1221.24 mm², below the minimum male value.

Conclusions:

• The total area measurement of the xerographically projected triangle is a reliable indicator for sex determination in human skulls.
• Established specific thresholds for sex identification: ≥1447.40 mm² for males and ≤1260.36 mm² for females (95% confidence).
• This method offers improved accuracy for sexing skulls compared to individual area measurements due to reduced intersexual overlap.