| Abstract: | The case study was based on the osteologic collection of the chair for anthropology, State Moscow University, including the male carpal bones (67) and female carpal bones (13), aged above 18 to 20. Four measurements were made according to Martin's scheme for metacarpal bones and finger phalanxes. A diagnostic method was worked out on the bases of the discriminative analysis, with such method enabling the remodeling of the ordinal localization of metacarpal bones as well as of main, medium and distal phalanxes. The maximally accurate classification was ensured for metacarpal bones, ranging from 81.5% to 100%; and the minimally accurate one was achieved for distal phalanxes, ranging from 20% to 95%. The discriminative analysis results were checked for distal phalanxes by Neklyudov's series (male--100, female--85); they were described according to 7 sizes. However, an attempt to enhance the accuracy of the classification of these phalanxes failed. The offered method should be applied in combination with the traditional anatomic-and-morphological method; besides, if possible, it is necessary to check the congruence of joint surfaces in the metacarpal interphalangeal joints. |
