NCJ Number
215134
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 51 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2006 Pages: 729-735
Date Published
July 2006
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Based on an analysis of the skulls of 50 adult skeletons of modern European White ancestry, this study determined which of 21 skull measurements met the required precision and accuracy for determining the sex of unknown skeletal remains.
Abstract
The findings indicate that of the 21 skull characteristics selected for analysis, 15 did not meet the critical values necessary to ensure the reliability of these traits for sex determination (greater than 80-percent accuracy and precision less than 10-percent intraobserver error). Six skull features achieved high precision and accuracy. Five of the six criteria identified as high-quality traits for sex determination (mastoid, supraorbital ridge, size and architecture, zygomatic extension, and nasal aperture) performed similarly in Rogers' examination of the skulls of historical populations of European descent. Of the six criteria that qualified for sex determination in the current study, three (supraorbital ridges, mastoid, and overall size and architecture) are commonly recommended in the literature for sex determination from the skull. Further research is necessary to establish the levels of accuracy and precision of skull characteristics as sex indicators for populations of different biogeographical origins. The study sample was selected from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection curated at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Individuals in the collection were born from the turn of the 20th century to the present. An equal proportion of females (n=25) and males (n=25) were selected. During the first round of analysis, the skulls were examined and scored individually over a period of 2 days. Following the initial round of observation, an intraobserver test was performed in which the entire sample was reexamined over 2 additional days. The accuracy of each characteristic was determined by comparing the blind assessments of a trait with the known sex. 5 tables, 1 figure, and 20 references