Sex determination by discriminant function analysis of the right tibia in the prehispanic population of the Canary Islands

This study has been performed in order to define standards usable to determine the sex of prehispanic individuals from the Canary Islands from their skeletal remains. Osteometric information at the right tibia was obtained from 59 complete skeletons from Gran Canaria, housed in the Museo Canario (Las Palmas), 45 males and 14 females (this constitutes the totality of complete prehispanic skeletons known from Gran Canaria). The parameters measured were: tibial length, proximal and distal epiphyseal breadth, transverse and anteroposterior diameter, perimeter at the nutrition foramen levels and minimum shaft perimeter. These parameters were subjected to different SPSS discriminant function analysis, combining all of them, or only the proximal or distal ones, without tibial length, etc., in order to obtain functions usable even if only bone fragments are available. Transverse diameter, proximal epiphyseal breadth and minimum shaft perimeter showed the highest discriminant power. The functions obtained showed high average accuracies, ranging from 94.9 to 98.3%, with female accuracies of 100%. The functions obtained were further applied to a test prehispanic population (ten males and ten females) from El Hierro. Overall accuracies of the functions when applied to this population ranged from 65 to 94.7%, with female accuracies ranging 80% to 100%.     

Identification of the skeletal remains of Josef Mengele by DNA analysis.

There has been considerable controversy over the identity of the skeletal remains exhumed in Brazil in 1985 and believed to be those of Dr Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz 'Angel of Death'. Bone DNA analysis was therefore conducted in an attempt to provide independent evidence of identity. Trace amounts of highly degraded human DNA were successfully extracted from the shaft of the femur. Despite the presence of a potent inhibitor of DNA amplification, microsatellite alleles could be reproducibly amplified from the femur DNA. Comparison of the femur DNA with DNA from Josef Mengele's son and wife revealed a bone genotype across 10 different loci fully compatible with paternity of Mengele's son. Less than 1 in 1800 Caucasian individuals unrelated to Mengele's son would by chance show full paternal inclusion. DNA analysis therefore provides very strong independent evidence that the remains exhumed from Brazil are indeed those of Josef Mengele.     

Sex determination by discriminant function analysis of lateral cranial form.

To sex the cranium, morphological features of cranial specimens were quantified with a personal computer that automatically measures distance and gradient for 39 craniometric points in the lateral contour line of the skull, which were digitized by a tablet digitizer connected to the computer. Specimens used for discriminant analysis were 50 male and 50 female adult Japanese skulls. The lateral contour showed sex differences in the nasal bone, supraorbital ridge, forehead and vertex. The nasal bone and supraorbital ridge were more developed in male contour line, and the forehead was more rounded in female contour line. But compared with the supraorbital ridge and forehead, the vertex had a wide variety of contour lines in both sexes. The vertex seemed to be less reliable as the indicator of sex. The sex differences were better reflected by gradient than distance. From variables of the gradient and distance showing significant sex differences, the discriminant function was derived and tested in 21 other specimens (13 male and 8 female skulls). The mean ratio of correct sexing of the human skull by the discriminant function was 86%.     

DNA analysis of abortion material assisted by histology screening.

In cases of rape leading to fertilization, paternity testing can retrospectively identify the assailant. Abortion material commonly represents a mixture of maternal and fetal tissue and blood, which cannot be differentiated with the naked eye. Consequently, DNA typing of abortion material may be complicated, including band overlap if maternal tissue predominates. Therefore, histology screening of the abortion content for typical fetal tissue components, such as chorionic villi, followed by selected DNA typing of this sample is suggested. This combined approach is illustrated by a selected case demonstrating the reliability and concurrence of the histology and genetic results.     

Sex determination by discriminant analysis of patella measurements

The authors have analyzed 80 skeletons (40 males and 40 females) from the collection at the Institute of Legal Medicine of the University of Bari belonging to a known contemporary Southern Italian population; time of death was around 1970 and ages ranged from 25 to 80 years. Seven measurements taken on 80 intact, undeformed right patellae (max height, max width, thickness, height and width of the external facies articularis, height and width of the internal facies articularis) were used to determine sex by multivariate discriminant analysis. One function associating two parameters (max width and thickness) obtained the highest value of correct sex determination with a rate of 83.8%; other functions showed a higher percentage of misclassification (up to 17.5%). This study tests the success rate of correct sex prediction based exclusively on patellar dimensions. The discriminant functions carried out by statistical analysis may aid the forensic anthropologist when no other human skeletal remains suitable for sex determination are available.     

Sex assessment from the acetabular rim by means of image analysis

Determining sex from skeletal remains is one of the most important steps in archaeological and forensic anthropology. The present study considers the diagnostic value of the acetabulum based on its planar image and related metric data. For this purpose, 83 adult os coxae of known age were examined. Digital photos of the acetabular area were taken, with each bone in a standardized orientation. Technical drawing software was used to trace the acetabular rim and to measure the related dimensions (area, perimeter, longitudinal and transverse maximum width). The measurements were subjected to SPSS discriminant and classification function analysis. There were significant differences (p相似文献   

Sex determination from the talus of Koreans by discriminant function analysis

The aims of this study were to investigate the sex discriminating potential of the talus in Koreans and compare this with other analyses in different populations. Statistical analyses were performed using data from nine measurements acquired from 140 tali (70 men, 70 women). The talus of Koreans is dimorphic between sexes in all measurements (p < 0.01). Discriminant function equations were generated by univariate, multivariate, and stepwise methods with a range of accuracy from 67.1 to 87.1%. Stepwise equations of other populations did not discriminate the sex of the Korean sample as accurately as each equation's own accuracies. The variables with high accuracy in this study are useful for sex determination of Koreans on the basis of confirmation of population specificity.     

A rapid technique for preparation of human fetal and adult skeletal material.

The techniques described above have been found to provide a rapid method of human skeletal preparation, with advantages of speed and applicability to fresh, fixed, or partially decomposed skeletal materials. While other techniques which can be used include the traditional use of Dermestidae beetle colonies, a five-step anatomical procedure, and other combinations of chemical solvents, the antiformin technique appears to have advantages useful to those involved in forensic medicine.     

Sex and age diagnosis by ischium morphometric analysis

The growth of four variables of the ischium was analysed by polynomial regression in order to evaluate its significance and its capacity for age and sex determination during and after growth. The material used was 327 specimens ranging from birth to 97 years of age from four documented west European collections. The growth curves were calculated for ischium length and three new variables of the acetabular surface (horizontal diameter of ischium acetabular surface, vertical diameter of ischium acetabular surface and ischium acetabular index). All curves, except those of the female series of vertical diameter of ischium acetabular surface and its index, showed a lineal growth corresponding to vertical variables. All variables studied, except the ischium acetabular index, can be used variables for adult sexual discrimination. Furthermore, ischium length and the horizontal and vertical diameters of the acetabular surface can be useful for sub-adult age determination in archaeological samples, as well as in forensic samples. However, the ischium length is the best variable, as it can be applied to all the growth ages.     

Sex determination by PCR analysis of DNA extracted from incinerated, deciduous teeth.

Establishing the biological sex of human remains is a very important part of identifying victims of fire when severe soft tissue destruction has occurred. Deciduous (children's) teeth were exposed to a range of incineration temperatures 100-500 degrees C for 15 minutes. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification was used to identify specific human amelogenin regions. There was successful identification of human biological sex, from deciduous teeth exposed to incineration temperatures of 200 degrees C and below, using standard ethidium bromide gel staining. There was greater sensitivity using fragment analysis by laser induced fluorescence which achieved sex identification from some teeth heated to 400 degrees C.     

Sex determination of cadaver material by the detection of specific nucleotide sequences of the Y chromosome following DNA cleavage

A gene technological method of sex determination in cadaverous material is reported. The samples were taken from a child's corpse, which was nearly completely skeletonized after 1 year in water. From cells of the bone marrow the DNA was isolated and digested by restriction enzymes. A defined fragment of 2.12kb length was cleaved off by the endonuclease HaeIII in the presence of Y chromosomes. After agarose-gel electrophoresis of the DNA fragments, the specific sequence was detected by hybridization with the cloned, radioactively labelled complementary plasmide pHY2.1.     

Field recovery and analysis of horse skeletal remains.

In response to a request from an insurance company investigating a claim relative to the death of four race and show horses, allegedly as a result of deliberate starvation, physical anthropologists of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Department of Geography and Anthropology undertook the recovery and analysis of skeletal remains said to be those of the animals. The objectives were to determine the number and kinds of animals represented, their ages, and sexes, and, through morphometric evaluation of bone density at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, whether there was evidence of nutritional osteodystrophy. The skeletons were the remains of four horses. In comparisons of data derived from these skeletons with breeding records for the horses described in the insurance claim, it was established that the skeletons were those of mares, as were the insured animals, and that the relative ages of the four approximated those of the insured horses. The skeletal samples submitted for morphometric evaluation showed no evidence of nutritional osteodystrophy and, thus, provided no support for the contention that death had resulted from starvation. In one horse, the superior aspect of the right ascending ramus of the lower jaw below the coronoid process revealed a gunshot wound; the other skeletons showed no evidence of trauma.     

活体跟骨数字X线片性别判定

目的应用数字X线摄影方法测量跟骨,评估5项测量指标在法医学性别判定中的价值。方法393例受试对象随机分组,实验组334例(男性148例,女性186例),验证组59例(男性26例,女性33例)。每一受试对象按照规定投照方法摄跟骨侧位DR片,分别测量5项跟骨长度指标。方差分析检验实验组各项指标性别间差异,Fisher判别分析及多元逐步判别分析建立性别判别函数。验证组样本数据回代,前瞻性评估判别效能。结果5项指标性别差异有统计学意义(P<0.001)。共建立了6组性别判别函数,性别判断正确率在78.4%～88.9%之间;回代检验,判断正确率在79.7%～86.4%之间。结论跟骨侧位数字X线片5项长度测量指标代入判别函数进行性别判定的方法可为法医学个人识别中的性别判定提供帮助。     

Determination of postmortem interval from old skeletal remains by image analysis of luminol test results.

The luminol test is routinely used in forensic serology to locate blood traces and identify blood stains not visible to the naked eye; its sensitivity is reported as ranging from 1:100,000 to 1:5,000,000. To evaluate the possibility of correlating the postmortem interval with blood remnants in bone tissue, the luminol test was performed on 80 femurs with a known time of death, grouped in five classes. Powdered bone (30 mg) was recovered from compact tissue of the mid-shaft of each femur and was treated with 0.1 mL of Luminol solution (Sirchie Finger Print Laboratories, Inc.). The reactions were observed in a dark room and filmed by a TV camera equipped with a recording tape. An intense chemiluminescence was observed after a few seconds in all 20 femurs with a PMI ranging from 1 month to 3 years. On the 20 femurs with a PMI ranging from 10-15 years, a clear chemiluminescence was visible with the naked eye in 80% of the sample. Among the 20 femurs with a PMI ranging from 25 to 35 years, a weaker chemiluminescence appeared in 7 femurs (33% of the sample). In the 10 femurs with a PMI ranging from 50 to 60 years, a faint reaction was observed only in a single femur. In none of the ten femurs with a PMI over 80 years was chemiluminescence observed. The image of each reaction was computerized and analyzed for gray scale. The results of image analysis show a possible quantitative relationship between the PMI and luminol chemiluminescence in powdered bone.     

Sex determination by discriminant analysis: an evaluation of the reliability of patella measurements

Recently, a method which estimates the sex of unknown skeletal remains by discriminant function analysis of the patella has received much recognition. With seven simple measurements and a sexing accuracy of almost 84% this morphometric approach would be very suitable both in the forensic and anthropological context. In order to put this method to the test, 52 unfractured and non-pathological left and right patellae (26 males, 26 females) from a prehistoric skeletal sample were analyzed. In addition, 30 patellae were randomly selected which were not part of the original reference series. The first 15 (4 males, 11 females) had the same sample origin as the 30 target specimen but were of mediocre preservational state. The second 15 belonged to an archaeological sample of different provenience (8 males, 7 females). The results of the current study indicate that the morphometric assessment of this sesamoid is indeed well-suited as the results of the previous study could be duplicated, when sample size was not taken into consideration (85%). However, when the issue of small sample size was systematically addressed via a jack-knife procedure or the calculation of Delta-value, the resultant accuracies dropped to 78 and 74%, respectively. It is suggested that two confounding factors--age and sex of the individual--may be held accountable. There are slight, whilst not statistically significant tendencies to misclassify female and older specimen.     

Determination of sex by discriminant function analysis of postcranial skeletal measurements

Thieme and Schull [16] took measurements of seven postcranial traits from black skeletons of known sex to devise a method for accurately sexing human remains. With a linear discriminant function analysis of the data they obtained a 98.5% accuracy. The research reported here was designed to assess the accuracy of their method in the hands of other investigators using a sample of the same black population and its applicability to other populations of the same and different races. None of the samples used in this study were sexed with the same rate of accuracy either achieved or predicted by Thieme and Schull. However, two samples did reach 91% or better. Such results suggest that the methods employed have considerable value if used with appropriate precautions. Our multiple discriminant function analysis strongly indicates that neither side nor observer techniques affected the results. Sex accounts for a predominant fraction of the total variation among samples and race accounts for most of that remaining.     

Sex diagnosis of Chinese skulls using multiple stepwise discriminant function analysis.

Sixty Chinese skulls (30 males and 30 females) from Liaoning Province of the People's Republic of China were used in this study. Forty-one variables on each skull were measured and one group of 14 and a second group of 5 variables were selected from all the variables by applying multiple stepwise regression on a computer. Discriminant equations for the 14 and 5 variables for sex diagnosis have been obtained and these variables are highly significant. The discriminant rate for the group of 5 variables resulted in accurate sex determination in 96.7% of cases. For the group of 14 variables there was 100% success rate.     

中国人肱骨的性别鉴定

目的 建立中国人肱骨性别判定的方程。方法 测量了来自全国9省区的已知生前确切性别的103个个体的左右侧肱骨的12项测量指标,使用SPSS软件,对所获得的测量数据,进行男女性别间测量数据的t检验。剔除性别检验差异不显著的测量项目,使用Fisher判别分析方法,建立肱骨性别判定方程。结果 单一测量指标的性别判定方程20组,性别判别率为75.9％～89.3％;肱骨上端的性别判定方程2组,性别判别率为83.6％～85.7％;肱骨中段的性别判定方程2组,性别判别率为81.3％～83.9％;肱骨下端的性别判定方程2组,性别判别率为82％。完整肱骨的性别判别率,左侧87％,右侧90.9％,双侧肱骨的性别判别率为96.3％。结论 建立的肱骨性别判别方程,适用于中国人肱骨的性别判定。