Determination of sex by discriminant function analysis of postcranial skeletal measurements

Thieme and Schull [16] took measurements of seven postcranial traits from black skeletons of known sex to devise a method for accurately sexing human remains. With a linear discriminant function analysis of the data they obtained a 98.5% accuracy. The research reported here was designed to assess the accuracy of their method in the hands of other investigators using a sample of the same black population and its applicability to other populations of the same and different races. None of the samples used in this study were sexed with the same rate of accuracy either achieved or predicted by Thieme and Schull. However, two samples did reach 91% or better. Such results suggest that the methods employed have considerable value if used with appropriate precautions. Our multiple discriminant function analysis strongly indicates that neither side nor observer techniques affected the results. Sex accounts for a predominant fraction of the total variation among samples and race accounts for most of that remaining.