Discriminant function analysis of the central portion of the innominate

Terry Collection innominates of 260 American whites and blacks (65 males and 65 females of each race) were analyzed by discriminant function analysis for sex assessment, race known, and for simultaneous race and sex assessment. Measurements from the preservationally favored central portion of the innominate were chosen for their potential usefulness in forensic casework and to objectify long-recognized "formal" differences between the sexes in the greater sciatic notch. These included acetabular diameter, greater sciatic notch height, and position of greatest notch depth. Accuracy of sex prediction when race is known is roughly 90% in both the base sample of 260 and a test sample of 200 (50 additional individuals for each group). For simultaneous race and sex assessment, accuracy of prediction is roughly 60% for each group in both samples. This represents about a 45% reduction in error over random assignment by race and sex.