Sexual dimorphism of the arm bones in a modern greek population.

Several studies have shown that sex determination methods based on measurements of the skeleton are population specific. Metric traits of the long bones of the arm have been reported as reliable indicators of sex. This study was designed to determine whether the three long bones of the arm can be used for sex determination on a skeletal population from Greece. The material used consists of the arm bones of 204 adult individuals (111 males and 93 females) coming from the Modern Human Skeletal Collection of the University of Athens. The age range is 19-96 years for males and 20-99 years for females. The maximum lengths and epiphyseal widths were measured in the long bones of the arm (humerus, radius, and ulna). The discriminant analysis of the metrical data of each long bone gave very high discrimination accuracies. The rate of correct sex discrimination based on different long bones ranges from 90.30% (ulna) to 95.70% (humerus). In addition, intra- and inter-observer error tests were performed. These indicated that replication of measurements was satisfactory for the same observer over time and between observers. The results of this study show that metric characteristics of the arm bones can be used for the determination of sex in skeletal remains from Greece and that bone dimensions are population specific.

Sex determination using metatarsal osteometrics from the Athens collection.

The determination of sex in skeletal remains performed by forensic anthropologists or bioarchaeologists typically relies on the analysis of quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the skeleton. In this regard, the most widely used features belong to the pelvic and cranial areas, but these are often not available in forensic or archaeological contexts. The objective of this study is to determine the extent of dimorphism exhibited by the metatarsal bones in order to examine their utility in the metric determination of sex in skeletal remains of Greek origin. A further objective is the development of linear discriminant function equations for sex determination based on the metatarsals from a contemporary Greek population. The skeletal sample used in this study is comprised of 1595 metatarsals (left and right), corresponding to 186 adult individuals (97 males, 89 females) and belongs to the documented collection of the University of Athens. The results suggest that metatarsal bones exhibit significant sexual dimorphism and the accuracy of the discriminant function equations for sex determination range from 80.7% to 90.1% (or 77.9-86.4% cross-validated). Thus, metatarsal bones may be used for sex determination in skeletal remains from Greece in addition to other sexing techniques.

Sex determination using metacarpal biometric data from the Athens Collection.

Forensic anthropologists and bioarchaeologists usually determine sex by analyzing quantitative and qualitative characters of the human skeleton. In general, the pelvis and skull are the skeletal parts used most often, but in many cases these parts are missing or fragmentary. In such circumstances, it is necessary to use techniques based on other skeletal elements. The primary aim of this work is to determine whether metacarpals can be used for the determination of sex specifically in a Greek population. A secondary step is to describe and develop linear discriminant function equations for sex determination based on a contemporary Greek population using metacarpal biometric data. The skeletal sample of the modern Greeks is housed at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) is comprised of 993 metacarpals (left and right), corresponding to 151 adult individuals (84 males and 67 females). The correct sex classification reached an accuracy of 83.7-88.1% for left and 83.8-89.7%, for right metacarpals. Our results suggest that metacarpals can be used for sexing in bioarchaeological, and forensic studies, in addition to other sex determination techniques.