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Scanning Skeletal Remains for Bone Mineral Density in Forensic Contexts
Published on: January 29, 2018
Sex estimation in forensic anthropology: skull versus postcranial elements
M Katherine Spradley1, Richard L Jantz
1Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA. mks@txstate.edu
Journal of Forensic Sciences
|January 8, 2011
Summary
When the pelvis is missing, postcranial bones are better for determining sex than the skull. Most postcranial elements outperform the skull in sex estimation, offering higher accuracy in forensic anthropology.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Biological Anthropology
- Human Osteology
Background:
- The pelvis is the most reliable indicator for sex estimation in skeletal remains.
- The skull is often considered the second-best indicator when the pelvis is unavailable.
- A clear, objective hierarchy of sexing effectiveness for cranial and postcranial elements is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish an objective hierarchy of sex determination effectiveness for cranial versus postcranial skeletal elements.
- To empirically test the prevailing assumption that the skull is superior to postcranial bones for sex estimation.
- To compare the accuracy of univariate and multivariate statistical models in sex determination using skeletal data.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank.
- Constructed univariate and multivariate discriminant function analysis (DFA) models.
- Assessed model performance using cross-validated classification accuracy and Mahalanobis D(2) for multivariate models.
Main Results:
- Most postcranial elements demonstrated higher accuracy in sex estimation compared to cranial elements.
- Univariate analysis of joint size achieved 88-90% correct sex classification.
- Multivariate models using postcranial bones reached up to 94% accuracy, exceeding the best cranial models (not exceeding 90%).
Conclusions:
- Postcranial elements are more effective than the skull for sex estimation when the pelvis is unavailable.
- The study challenges the traditional view of cranial superiority in sex determination.
- Recommends prioritizing postcranial elements for sex estimation in forensic anthropological analyses.
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