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Sex assessment from carpals bones: discriminant function analysis in a contemporary Mexican sample
Paola Mastrangelo1, Stefano De Luca, Gabriela Sánchez-Mejorada
1Laboratory of Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Forensic Science International
|May 20, 2011
Summary
Carpal bones offer a reliable method for sex assessment in human identification. This study developed population-specific discriminant functions using carpal bone measurements, achieving high accuracy in sex estimation from skeletal remains.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Bioarchaeology
- Human Osteology
Background:
- Sex assessment is crucial for human identification in forensic and bioarchaeological contexts.
- Traditional methods using skull and pelvis can be hindered by fragmented remains.
- Existing discriminant functions for sex estimation are population-specific, necessitating new models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic value of carpal bones for sex assessment.
- To develop population-specific discriminant functions for improved sex estimation.
- To assess the reliability of carpal bone measurements for identification procedures.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 136 individuals (78 males, 58 females) from a contemporary Mexican collection.
- Taking 4–9 measurements from each carpal bone per individual.
- Employing univariate measurements and multivariate stepwise discriminant analysis.
- Conducting intra- and inter-observer error tests for measurement reliability.
Main Results:
- All analyzed carpal bones demonstrated significant sexual dimorphism.
- Univariate measurements achieved sex estimation accuracies ranging from 61.8% to 90.8%.
- Multivariate discriminant analysis yielded classification accuracies between 81.3% and 92.3%.
- Measurement replication showed satisfactory intra- and inter-observer reliability.
Conclusions:
- Carpal bones are valuable for sex assessment in both forensic and bioarchaeological identification.
- The developed discriminant functions improve sex estimation accuracy from skeletal remains.
- Bone dimensions used for sex estimation are population-specific, highlighting the need for localized data.
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