Sexual dimorphism of the maxillary postcanine dentition: A geometric morphometric analysis.

The aim of this work was to study the sexual dimorphism of the occlusal surface of the maxillary postcanine dentition using geometric morphometric techniques. This study evaluated 139 individuals as part of five osteological collections from municipal cemeteries in the province of Granada (Spain). The landmarks and semilandmarks were analysed by principal components analysis, canonical variate analysis and discriminant analysis. Only the fourth maxillary premolar showed significant sexual dimorphism; however, cross-validation values for shape variables were 64.44% for males and 63.60% for females and 60.17% for males and 60.99% for females when both shape and size variables were considered. The third maxillary premolar and first and second maxillary molars did not show significant sexual dimorphism. The results show that maxillary postcanine dentition cannot assist in sex estimation, either only shape or shape and size.

Double inhumation in the Medieval Islamic Necropolis of Sahl ben Malik in Granada (Spain).

Despite the high mortality that have been associated with pregnancy and childbirth in past populations, few cases of the remains of pregnant women burials are described in the bioarchaeological reports. This paper is focused on the case of a double inhumation found in the Medieval Muslim Necropolis (11th to 15th centuries) of Sahl ben Malik in Granada (Spain). A complete skeleton of a woman and the skeletal remains of a full-term fetus located under the mother's left femur, were discovered in this burial. None of the evidence for the mother was decisive in determining the cause of death. However, evidence of physiological stress in the woman and possible gynecological complications may have contributed to the death of both individuals. The link between the individuals and their cause of death is examined, discussed and compared with similar archaeological records.

Fracture of the odontoid process in a male individual from the medieval necropolis of Maro (Málaga, Spain).

Traumatic injuries are commonly reported in paleopathology. However, fractures of the odontoid process in past populations are uncommon and therefore such injuries may be easily overlooked. This paper describes alterations of the first and second cervical vertebrae, the atlas and axis, of a male individual of advanced age from the medieval necropolis of Maro (Málaga, Spain). These alterations were observed through macroscopic evaluation and radiological analysis. This individual's skeleton is well-preserved, with degenerative changes present in the appendicular skeleton and the rest of the vertebrae. Our differential diagnosis included aplasia of the dens, bifid dens, dens duplicated, ossiculum terminale persistens, os odontoideum, and odontoid process fractures. We concluded that the most likely condition was a broken odontoid process fused with the anterior arch of the atlas, a pseudarthrosis demonstrating that the individual survived this fracture. This study is one of the first reports of an odontoid process fracture in ancient contexts.

Sexual dimorphism of the first deciduous molar: A geometric morphometric approach.

Estimating the sex of immature skeletal remains is important when reconstructing the biological profile of unknown individuals in anthropological practice. Teeth have a distinct importance as they are the most frequently recovered physical elements of an individual. They persist after death due to their hardness and resistance to postmortem insults. The aim of this study was to analyse the sexual dimorphism of the occlusal surface of the first deciduous molar using geometric morphometric techniques. This study evaluated 38 first maxillary deciduous molars (21 males, 17 females) and 30 first mandibular deciduous molars (15 males, 15 females) from the Granada osteological collection of identified subadults (Granada, Spain). The landmark and semilandmark coordinates were analysed by principal components analysis, canonical variate analysis and discriminant analysis. Only the first maxillary deciduous molar showed a significant sexual dimorphism, with cross-validation values for shape variables of 93.23% for males and 83.17% for females, and 100% for males and 87.50% for females when both shape and size variables were considered. Despite there being acceptable cross-validation classification for the first mandibular deciduous molar (82.35% for males and 92.31% for females for shape variables and 82.35% for males and 92.31% for females for shape and size variables), no significant differences indicating sexual dimorphism were identified. The results show that the first upper deciduous molar can assist in sex estimation, and that geometric morphometric analysis is a suitable technique to answer questions related to shape that cannot be observed with the naked eye.

Correction to: Sex estimation of infants through geometric morphometric analysis of the ilium.

After publication of the original article, it was brought to authors' attention two errors that were included in the final publication.

Sex estimation of infants through geometric morphometric analysis of the ilium.

In archeology or forensics, the analysis of the ilia is often used to determine the age and sex of unknown individuals. However, sex determination using the skeletal remains of individuals who did not develop secondary sexual characteristics remains controversial. Accurately estimating the sex of subadults is hampered by a small number of studies based on identified skeletal collections of juvenile individuals. Here, we analyzed the sexual dimorphism of the subadult ilia using geometric morphometric techniques and individuals from the osteological collection of identified subadults from San José's graveyard (Granada). Seventy-one left ilia from 40 males and 31 females aged between birth and 1 year were included in the analysis. Three landmarks and 27 semi-landmarks of the ilia were placed. By principal component analysis, we found that the size and shape of the ilia could be used to differentiate males and females.

Sexual dimorphism in the 7th cervical and 12th thoracic vertebrae from a Mediterranean population.

Sex determination is an important task in physical anthropology and forensic medicine. The study sample comprised 121 individuals of known sex, age, and cause of death from San Jose cemetery in Granada (Spain). Eight dimensions were analyzed, and discriminant function analysis was performed for each vertebra to obtain discriminating functions and study the percentage of correct assignations of these functions. The percentage accuracy was approximately 80% for both vertebrae, but varied according to the sex, being higher for the 7th cervical in males and higher for the 12th thoracic in females. As reported in other populations, the greatest dimorphism values were found for the length of the inferior surface of the vertebral body and the width and length of the vertebral foramen of the 7th cervical vertebra and for the length of the inferior surface of the vertebral body of the 12th thoracic vertebra.

Assessment of sex from endocranial cavity using volume-rendered CT scans in a sample from Medellín, Colombia.

Sex estimation is a primary component of the identification of skeletonized individuals in forensic anthropology. The goal of this research was to develop a new method for estimating sex based on measurements of the endocranial cavity by means of volumetric 3D reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) without contrast. The sample consisted of 249 healthy individuals of both sexes whose tomographies were taken by the imaging unit at the San Vicente de Paul University Hospital in Medellin, Colombia. Sixteen measurements (twelve were designed for this study) of each individual's endocranial base were taken and then used to create formulae via logistic regression, thereby yielding a 89.7% overall sex classification accuracy for the general equation. The measurements showing the greatest degree of sexual dimorphism were the maximum width of the basal occipital portion, the maximum width of the foramen magnum, and the maximum distance between foramina ovalia. This study represents the first physical anthropology study of this population.

Brief communication: the Granada osteological collection of identified infants and young children.

The objective of this study is to present the characteristics of a collection of identified infants and young children housed in the Laboratory of Anthropology of the University of Granada, Spain. The sample, which is still being enlarged, is currently composed of 230 complete skeletons aged from 5 months of gestation to 8 years, with a majority below 1 year. It mainly dates from the mid-20th century. The state of preservation is very good, and antemortem information is available from burial and death certificates, among other documents. Our sample makes an important contribution to the relatively few collections available in the world for investigating the osteological development of the skeletons of infants and young children from a physical anthropological perspective.

Odontometric sex discrimination in the Herculaneum sample (79 AD, Naples, Italy), with application to juveniles.

Sex determination of subadult skeletal remains with satisfactory accuracy represents one of the most important limitations of archaeological research and forensic practice. Teeth are one of the most durable physical elements of an individual that remain after death, and constitute a potential source of information about the biological sex of that individual. This study was based on the skeletal remains of 117 individuals from the ancient city of Herculaneum (Naples, Italy), victims of the eruption of the nearby volcano Vesuvius on 24/25 August, 79 AD. It has been possible to develop discriminant function formulae based on dental dimensions of adult individuals whose sex had previously been determined based on descriptive osteologic criteria. These formulae were subsequently applied to the permanent dentitions of immature individuals of the same population in order to estimate their sex. The results show that the canine is the tooth with the greatest sex dimorphism in adults, providing percentages of correct assignment of sex between 76.5% and 100% depending on the dimension used. Of the 30 subadult individuals in the target sample, estimation of sex was possible for 22 individuals. Sex assignments matched those determined from descriptive characteristics of the ilia and mandible in 73.33% of the cases. The results provide some optimism that this method may be applicable to juvenile archaeological samples.

Sex assessment from the carpals bones: discriminant function analysis in a 20th century Spanish sample.

Sex assessment is one of the first essential steps in human identification, in both medico-legal cases and bio-archaeological contexts. Fragmentary human remains compromised by different types of inhumation or physical insults may frustrate the use of the traditional sex estimation methods, such as the analysis of the skull and pelvis. Currently, the application of discriminant functions to sex unidentified skeletal remains is steadily increasing. However, several studies have demonstrated that, due to variation in size and patterns of sexual dimorphism, discriminant function equations are population-specific [1,2,5,12,61]. In this study, in order to improve sex assessment from skeletal remains and to establish population-specific discriminant functions, the diagnostic values of the carpal bones were considered. A sample of 100 individuals (50 males and 50 females) of known sex and age was analyzed. They belong to a 20th century identified collection from the Municipal Cemetery of "San José", Granada (Spain) and housed in the Laboratory of Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada (Spain). The age of the individuals ranged between 22 and 85 years. Between four and nine measurements of each carpal bone were performed [41,59]. Discriminant function statistics showed a sex assessment accuracy as high as 97.8%. The results suggest that carpal bones can be used for assessing sex in both forensic and bio-archaeological identification procedures.

Forensic age estimation on digital X-ray images: Medial epiphyses of the clavicle and first rib ossification in relation to chronological age.

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in forensic sciences about forensic age estimation in living subjects by means of radiological methods. This research was conducted on digital thorax X-rays to test the usefulness of some radiological changes in the clavicle and first rib. The sample consisted in a total of 123 subjects of Spanish origin (61 men and 62 women; age range: 5-75 years). From all subjects, a thorax posterior-anterior radiograph was obtained in digital format. Scoring for fusion of medial epiphyses of the clavicle was carried out by Schmeling's system and ossification of the costal cartilage of the first rib by Michelson's system. Degree of ossification and epiphyseal fusion were analyzed in relation with known age and sex of these subjects. The results give a minimum age of >20 years for full fusion of the medial epiphysis of the clavicle (Stages 4 and 5). Concerning the first rib, all subjects with the final Stage 3 of ossification were above 25 years of age. These results suggest that the first rib ossification might become an additional method to the ones so far recommended for forensic age estimation in subjects around 21. New research would be desirable to confirm this suggestion.