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Updated: Aug 6, 2026
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Dissection, MicroCT Scanning and Morphometric Analyses of the Baculum
Published on: March 19, 2017
Sex differences in hip bone and sacrum morphology: a geometric morphometric analysis
Diana Toneva1, Silviya Nikolova2, Nevena Fileva3
1Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 25, 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria. ditoneva@abv.bg.
International Journal of Legal Medicine
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Pelvic bone shape, not size, is a strong indicator for sex estimation in forensic anthropology. Geometric morphometrics revealed significant sexual dimorphism in hip bone and sacrum shape, achieving high classification accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Bioarchaeology
- Geometric Morphometrics
Background:
- The pelvis is vital for biological profile reconstruction from skeletal remains.
- Accurate sex estimation is crucial in forensic and archaeological contexts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate sex differences in pelvic bone size and shape using geometric morphometrics.
- To compare the sexual dimorphism indicated by size versus shape variables in hip bones and sacrum.
Main Methods:
- Utilized computed tomography scans of 255 adult Bulgarians to create pelvic surface models.
- Applied geometric morphometrics, including Generalized Procrustes Analysis and Principal Component Analysis, to 3D landmark data.
- Employed classification methods (LDA, SVM) to assess sex differentiation capabilities of size and shape variables.
Main Results:
- Significant sex differences were found in the size and shape of hip bones and sacrum.
- Centroid size showed low accuracy for sex estimation (66-69%).
- Shape variables demonstrated high accuracy (91-99%) for sex differentiation, indicating pronounced sexual dimorphism.
Conclusions:
- Pelvic bone shape is a highly reliable indicator for sex estimation in Bulgarians.
- Geometric morphometrics effectively captures significant sexual dimorphism in pelvic elements.
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