The Influence of Body Size on the Expression of Sexually Dimorphic Morphological Traits |
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| Authors: | Haley E. Horbaly M.A. Michael W. Kenyhercz Ph.D. Mark Hubbe Ph.D. Dawnie W. Steadman Ph.D. |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 1621 Cumberland Avenue, 502 Strong Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996Corresponding author: Haley E. Horbaly, M.A. E‐mail:;2. Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 1621 Cumberland Avenue, 502 Strong Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996;3. Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Central Identification Laboratory, 590 Moffet Street, Bldg 4077, JBPHH, HI, 96853;4. Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, 174 W. 18th Avenue, 4034 Smith Laboratory, Columbus, OH, 43210;5. Instituto de Arqueología y Antropología, Universidad Católica del Norte, RP Gustavo Le Paige Street No. 380, San Pedro de Atacama Region of Antofagasta, Chile |
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| Abstract: | Skeletal sexual dimorphism manifests as size or shape differences between males and females in a population. Certain dimorphic traits are used in sex estimation methods, and populational variation in the expression of these traits can result in inaccurate sex estimation. However, the underlying causes of variation in trait expression remain unclear. This study explores body size, which also exhibits sexual dimorphism, as a potential factor influencing trait expression. To test this, skeletons of 209 individuals of varying body size were analyzed, and morphological traits were scored according to the Walker (2008), Klales et al. (2012), and Rogers (1999) sex estimation methods. Statistical analyses found significant correlations between body size parameters and expression of traits, with stature explaining more relative variance in trait expression than body mass. However, the relationships are weak and few in number, suggesting that body size has a minimal impact on the expression of these morphological traits. |
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| Keywords: | forensic science forensic anthropology stature body mass sexual dimorphism sex estimation |
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