NCJ Number
223863
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 53 Issue: 4 Dated: July 2008 Pages: 786-789
Date Published
July 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Using a European population sample, this study validated the work of a team of researchers who determined the sex of Taiwanese individuals using cephalometric plots of skulls using lateral teleradiography.
Abstract
The study determined that it is possible to apply the method developed by the Taiwanese team in determining sex of Europeans from their skulls based on 18 cephalometric variables. The method is simple and reliable and can be readily applied in forensic science, anthropology, and human paleontology. A subset of eight variables could be sufficient for determining sex with a similar accuracy; however, this should be validated on new independent data. The sample for the current study consisted of 114 dry skulls of known sex (59 men and 55 women) from the Museum d‘Histoire Naturelle in Lyon, France. Subjects were between 20 and 55 years old at death. Lateral teleradiography was conducted on each skull. The plates were made with radiography equipment that established a focal-plate distance of 4 m. They were digitized with Epson Expression 1640XL Scanner. The cephalometric traces were then made by an orthodontic software. Nineteen cephalometric points were identified, which enabled the identification of 18 cephalometric variables as described in Hsiao et al. The same operator conducted all the cephalometric plots. The data obtained were analyzed with SAS 9.0. 5 tables and 18 references