Hyoid bone-based sex discrimination among Egyptians using a multidetector computed tomography: discriminant function...

Area of Science:

• Forensic Anthropology
• Anatomical Imaging

Background:

• The hyoid bone exhibits sexual dimorphism across diverse populations.
• Accurate sex determination is crucial in forensic anthropology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate hyoid bone sexual dimorphism in the Egyptian population using 3D MDCT.
• To evaluate the efficacy of statistical and machine learning models for sex determination based on hyoid bone morphology.

Main Methods:

• Three-dimensional multidetector computed tomography (3D MDCT) scans of 300 Egyptian subjects.
• Measurement of ten hyoid bone variables.
• Application of discriminant analysis and machine learning algorithms for sex prediction.

Main Results:

• All measured hyoid bone dimensions were significantly larger in males than females.
• Combined discriminant functions using four hyoid variables achieved high sex prediction accuracy.
• Machine learning models demonstrated improved accuracy, ranging from 0.8667 to 0.933, with enhanced precision, recall, and F1-scores.

Conclusions:

• The hyoid bone is a reliable indicator for sex determination in the Egyptian population.
• Both traditional statistical and advanced machine learning approaches confirm the hyoid bone's utility in forensic sex assessment.
• These findings offer valuable tools for forensic casework involving skeletal remains.