Anat Cell Biol.  2017 Jun;50(2):86-92. 10.5115/acb.2017.50.2.86.

Study of sexual dimorphism of Malaysian crania: an important step in identification of the skeletal remains

• Ibrahim A
• Alias A
• Nor FM
• Swarhib M
• Abu Bakar
• Das S

• KMID: 2451232
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5115/acb.2017.50.2.86

Abstract

Sex determination is one of the main steps in the identification of human skeletal remains. It constitutes an initial step in personal identification from the skeletal remains. The aim of the present study was to provide the population-specific sex discriminating osteometric standards to aid human identification. The present study was conducted on 87 (174 sides) slices of crania using postmortem computed tomography in 45 males and 42 females, aged between 18 and 75 years. About 22 parameters of crania were measured using Osirix software 3-D Volume Rendering. Results showed that all parameters were significantly higher in males than in females except for orbital height of the left eye by independent t test (P<0.01). By discriminant analysis, the classification accuracy was 85.1%, and by regression, the classification accuracy ranged from 78.2% to 86.2%. In conclusion, cranium can be used to distinguish between males and females in the Malaysian population. The results of the present study can be used as a forensic tool for identification of unknown crania.

Keyword

Forensic anthropology; Sex; Crania; Malaysian; CT scan

MeSH Terms

Classification
Female
Forensic Anthropology
Humans
Male
Orbit
Skull
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Superior view of the crania. AS, anteriorly superior; Eu, euryon; G, glabella; L, lateral; Op, opisthocranion; PI, posteriorly inferior; R, right.

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  Fig. 2 Frontal view of the crania. AI, alare; B, bregma; CO, coronalia; d, dacryon; ec, ectoconchion; Ft, frontotempolare; N, nasion; Ns, nasospinale; Pr, prosthions; Zy, zygomatic arch.

• 

  Fig. 3 Lateral view of the crania. b, bregma; ba, basion; Ms, mastoidale; N, nasion; Op, opithocranion; Po, porion; Pr, prosthion.

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