NCJ Number
183290
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 44 Issue: 1 Dated: January 1999 Pages: 57-60
Date Published
January 1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This study introduces a new method of determining the sex of skeletal remains based on four morphological features of the posterior, distal humerus, based on an analysis of a random sample of 10 male and 10 female humeri from the Grant Skeletal Collection of the Department of Anthropology of the University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
The research resulted from the recognition that males and females share almost 95 percent of the total range of variation for most physical characteristics. It is possible to determine the sex of adult human skeletal remains with greater than 95 percent accuracy when the entire skeleton is present. However, a method is needed for cases of co-mingled or fragmentary remains. The research focused on the visual analysis of the humerus due to its relationship to the carrying angle of the arm, which is approximately 10-15 degrees in males and 20-25 degrees in females. The technique developed with the bones in Toronto was subsequently tested on 35 known individuals from the University of New Mexico Documented Collection and 93 individuals from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. The analysis produced the specification of four statistically significant characteristics relating to the carrying angle of the arm. Findings indicated that together, these four characteristics are capable of determining sex with 92 percent accuracy. Tables, photographs, and 28 references (Author abstract modified)