Elsevier

Forensic Science International

Volume 180, Issues 2–3, 18 September 2008, Pages 110.e1-110.e5
Forensic Science International

Forensic anthropology population data
Craniometric analysis of the modern Cretan population

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2008.06.018Get rights and content

Abstract

Despite the fact that sex assessment using craniofacial characteristics is commonly made worldwide, a lack of such investigation is noted in the Balkan area and in Greece in particular. The aim of this study is to develop a sex determination technique using osteometric data from skeletal remains of a contemporary Cretan cemetery population.

A total of 90 males and 88 females are measured according to standard osteometric techniques. Age differences are not significant (mean age for men = 68.94 ± 13.41, N = 66; for women = 73.21 ± 16.77, N = 66). A total of 16 dimensions taken from the craniofacial skeleton are used and data are analyzed using SPSS subroutines. A comparison is made with other contemporary populations, including Americans (Terry collection) and South Africans (Dart and Pretoria collections), as well as an archaeological sample (Middle and Late Helladic) from Crete.

Results indicate that males are statistically significantly greater than females in all dimensions. Bizygomatic breadth is the most discriminatory single dimension and can provide an accuracy rate of 82% on average. Using a stepwise method involving five dimensions (bizygomatic breadth, cranial length, nasion–prosthion and mastoid height and nasal breadth), accuracy is raised to 88.2%. Interestingly, cranial length is selected as the first discriminating variable by the stepwise analysis when only the neurocranium is available for measurement.

Introduction

The existence of sexual dimorphism in human skeletons and its importance in medicolegal investigations has long been acknowledged. The skull is probably the most studied bone in that context. Krogman and İşcan [1] stated that sex assessment in a collection of 750 skeletons was possible, with levels of reliability of 100% when the entire skeleton was present, 92% using the skull alone, and 98% when combining the pelvis and skull. Even though several postcranial elements have more recently proved to be more effective sex predictors [2], the skull remains among the most dimorphic parts of the skeleton.

Skeletal morphological observations are easier to make but difficult to judge. More of the morphological features depend on nutrition, occupation, race and geographical regions, and thus their reliability is questioned since this information is nearly never available. In that respect metric studies may provide certain advantages because it is a more objective way of attaining data [1], [3]. With the use of osteometric techniques, determination of sex from skulls relied very much on statistical analysis. Some of the earlier studies following this approach include those on Europeans [4], [5], Americans [6], South Africans [6], [7], [8], [9], Japanese [10], [11] and Chinese [12]. The number of research papers has increased even more when one surveys the postcranial skeleton in different populations [1], [13].

Apart from the classical osteometric techniques, one should remark the use of the geometric morphometric method in order to explore the implications of shape on sexual dimorphism of the craniofacial skeleton. In that vein, Rosas and Bastir [14] studied a sample of Portuguese (Coimbra), while Kimmerle and associates [15] in a more recent study dealt with American Blacks and Whites.

Cranial characteristics of modern Greeks have not been well studied. Most of the research deals with the demography of archaeological remains, with the exception of few roentgenometric studies on cephalo-dentofacial morphology of contemporary populations [16], [17], [18]. The availability of skeletal material representing modern Europeans to carry out population-based analysis is limited. The situation is different in Greece where remains are exhumed 3–5 years after burial, placed in boxes and kept in ossuaries for as long as the relatives keep paying the “rental fee”[19].

The purpose of the study is to develop a sex determination technique using osteometric data from remains exhumed from two contemporary Cretan cemeteries in Heraklion, Crete. The population of Crete is thought to have a complicated political history with many different civilizations ruling its people. It seems though that the native Cretan islanders remained relatively uninfluenced despite the many different forces that ruled and administered the island.

Section snippets

Materials and methods

The skeletal material for this study is selected from the cemeteries of St. Konstantinos and Pateles, Heraklion, Crete. The bones are gathered, cleaned and placed in boxes and stored in a special room all together or in family tombs where existing. Unless living members of a deceased person can afford to keep the body in the grave with a “rental fee”, it is inhumed in a designated area by the city. Authors were given permission by the local District Attorney according to standard procedure, to

Results

Descriptive statistics of 16 skull measurements and associated univariate F-ratio to measure the differences between the sexes are shown in Table 1. All but interorbital breadths are found to be significantly different between the sexes. Mean age difference is not significant (mean age for men = 68.94 ± 13.41, N = 66; for women = 73.21 ± 16.77, N = 66). Table 2 provides various discriminant functions statistics where the sex of an unknown skull can be determined. These functions are constructed so that

Discussion

Accurate determination of sex from the human skull is of great importance in anthropologic and forensic investigations. While the overlap in the size of the male and female range is still the most important aspect of sexual dimorphism, the accuracy depends on factors causing variation in sex. It must be stressed that a population-specific study is required in order to have accurate results in sexing a skeleton deriving from that population [23], [24]. A recent study evaluating standard methods

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the District Attorney of Heraklion and Mr. C. Kavalos, Director of Cemeteries, Crete, for their permission to study the remains; Mr. K. Maragakis for the demographic and archival information; Messrs S. Kougios and A. Katsounas, autopsy technicians of the Department of Forensic Sciences, University of Crete, for their contribution to cleaning, preserving and preparing the skeletons for analysis; Ms A. Papavdi and Ms D. Papadogianni for assistance during data

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