Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2013.54.272
Sex determination in skeletal remains from the medieval Eastern Adriatic coast – discriminant function analysis of humeri
Željana Bašić
orcid.org/0000-0002-8327-1978
; University Department for Forensic Sciences, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Ivana Anterić
; University Department for Forensic Sciences, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Katarina Vilović
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Anja Petaros
; Department of Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics, University of Rijeka School of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia
Alan Bosnar
; Department of Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics, University of Rijeka School of Medicine, Rijeka, Croatia
Tomislav Madžar
; University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Ozren Polašek
; University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Šimun Anđelinović
; University Department for Forensic Sciences, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Sažetak
Aim To investigate the usefulness of humerus measurement
for sex determination in a sample of medieval skeletons
from the Eastern Adriatic Coast. Additional aim was
to compare the results with contemporary female population.
Methods Five humerus measurements (maximum length,
epicondylar width, maximum vertical diameter of the head,
maximum and minimum diameter of the humerus at midshaft)
for 80 male and 35 female medieval and 19 female
contemporary humeri were recorded. Only sufficiently preserved
skeletons and those with no obvious pathological
or traumatic changes that could affect the measurements
were included. For ten samples, analysis of DNA was performed
in order to determine sex using amelogenin.
Results The initial comparison of men and women indicated
significant differences in all five measures (P < 0.001).
Discriminant function for sex determination indicated that
as much as 85% of cases could be properly categorized,
with better results in men (86%) than women (80%). Furthermore,
the comparison of the medieval and contemporary
women did not show significant difference in any of
the measured features. Sex results obtained by anthropological
and DNA analysis matched in all 10 cases.
Conclusion The results indicate that humerus measurement
in Croatian medieval population may be sufficient to
determine the sex of the skeleton. Furthermore, it seems
that secular changes have not substantially affected contemporary
population, suggesting that the results of this
study are transferable to contemporary population as well
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
104772
URI
Datum izdavanja:
15.6.2013.
Posjeta: 1.433 *