Significance of the Classical Morphological Criteria for Identifying Gender Using Recent Skulls

• NCJ Number: 218784
• Author(s): Matthias Graw
• Date Published: January 2001
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: US Dept of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: From Forensic Science Communications, V 3, N 1, January 2001; downloaded June 11, 2007.

Annotation

This study sought to clarify the significance of using the classical morphological criteria for identifying gender from recent skulls.

Abstract

Results of the morphological examination of the test group revealed that gender could be differentiated using these criterion. However, the observed variability in individual morphological characteristics rendered the 17 morphological characteristics as variably important to establishing gender. Specifically, only 5 morphological traits could be attributed to gender with a probability of 70 to 80 percent: the glabella, arcus superciliaris, processus mastoideus, crista supramsatoidea, and mandibula. When these five traits were combined, approximately 91 percent of the skulls were correctly identified in terms of gender. The findings thus suggest that it is possible to restrict the reliable determination of gender to these five morphological characteristics. The research involved assessing 137 forensically recent adult skulls from southwestern Germany. Random sampling resulted in a test group of 58 males and 33 females and a control group of 34 males and 12 females. Statistical analyses were completed using SPSS software. Tables, figures, references