Identifying sexual dimorphism in a paediatric South Indian population using stepwise discriminant function analysis.

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Human Biology
• Odontology

Background:

• Anthropological research frequently utilizes skeletal and dental remains for species identification.
• Sexual dimorphism, the systematic form difference between sexes, is crucial in biological anthropology.
• Accurate sex determination in pediatric populations is vital for anthropological and forensic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compute a novel discriminant function formula for sex determination.
• To analyze sexual dimorphism in deciduous maxillary canine and molar crown dimensions.
• To assess the accuracy of the derived formula in a South Indian pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

• Measurements of deciduous maxillary canines and molars were taken from 93 females and 90 males (5-13 years).
• Digital vernier calipers were used to record mesiodistal (MD), buccolingual (BL), and diagonal crown dimensions.
• Discriminant function analysis and Student t-test were employed for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Significant sexual dimorphism (p < 0.05) was observed in multiple tooth dimensions between males and females.
• The mesiodistal (MD) dimension of the maxillary right first molar exhibited the highest degree of sexual dimorphism.
• Discriminant function analysis achieved a sex determination accuracy of 87.2-88%.

Conclusions:

• Deciduous tooth crown dimensions, including diagonal measurements, show significant sexual dimorphism in South Indian children.
• The newly computed discriminant function formula offers a valuable tool for sex determination in pediatric populations of South Indian origin.
• This research contributes to the field of forensic anthropology by providing a reliable method for sex estimation in young individuals.