On the non-equivalence of documented cadaver lengths to living stature estimates based on Fully's method on bones in the Raymond A. Dart Collection

Regression equations for stature estimation have been derived from documented cadaver lengths available as part of the demographic information in the catalogue of skeletonised remains in different collections around the world. The Raymond A. Dart Collection is one such collection, but the reliability of documented cadaver lengths in it has been previously questioned. The aim of this study was to compare these lengths with estimated living stature using Fully's anatomical method. Living stature was estimated with this method from a total of 156 complete skeletons obtained from the Collection. These heights were then compared with the documented cadaver lengths. It was observed that the documented cadaver lengths were significantly higher than the estimated living stature using Fully's method.