Sex assessment from metacarpals of the human hand. 1995

A B Falsetti
National Museum of Health and Medicine, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC, USA.

Discriminant functions designed for the determination of sex from metacarpal measurements are presented. Three samples of metacarpal specimens were employed in the analysis; one consisting of 212 individuals from the Terry Collection, one of 33 individuals from the Royal Free Medical School in London, and finally, 40 individuals from the Forensic/Donated Collection, Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, all of whom had documented sex. Five measurements designed to characterize the size and shape of the human metacarpal were taken on all five digits. Based on the Terry Collection, significant metric differences attributed to race were found for digits I and III, and thus functions could only be derived for the three remaining metacarpals. Sex discriminant functions derived from the Terry Collection for digits II, IV, and V provide correct classification of 92.0, 86.26, and 84.37 percent. The resulting three linear equations were then independently applied to the Royal Free Medical School and Forensic/Donated samples to validate the accuracy of the original functions. Percentage of correct classification for each of the test samples varies.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008663 Metacarpus The region of the HAND between the WRIST and the FINGERS.
D009656 North America The northern continent of the Western Hemisphere, extending northward from the Colombia-Panama border and including CENTRAL AMERICA, MEXICO, Caribbean area, the UNITED STATES, CANADA and GREENLAND. The term often refers more narrowly to MEXICO, continental UNITED STATES, AND CANADA. Northern America
D002138 Calibration Determination, by measurement or comparison with a standard, of the correct value of each scale reading on a meter or other measuring instrument; or determination of the settings of a control device that correspond to particular values of voltage, current, frequency or other output. Calibrations
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012732 Sex Determination Analysis Validation of the SEX of an individual by inspection of the GONADS and/or by genetic tests. Sex Determination Techniques,Sex Determination Technics,Analyses, Sex Determination,Analysis, Sex Determination,Sex Determination Analyses,Sex Determination Technic,Sex Determination Technique,Technic, Sex Determination,Technics, Sex Determination,Technique, Sex Determination,Techniques, Sex Determination
D016002 Discriminant Analysis A statistical analytic technique used with discrete dependent variables, concerned with separating sets of observed values and allocating new values. It is sometimes used instead of regression analysis. Analyses, Discriminant,Analysis, Discriminant,Discriminant Analyses
D044383 Black People Persons having origins in any of the black racial groups of AFRICA. Note that OMB category BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN is available for the United States population groups. Race and ethnicity terms, as used in the federal government, are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies. African Continental Ancestry Group,Black Person,Negroid Race,Black Peoples,Black Persons,Negroid Races,People, Black,Person, Black,Persons, Black,Race, Negroid
D044465 White People Persons having origins in any of the white racial groups of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. Note that OMB category WHITE is available for the United States population groups. Race and ethnicity terms, as used in the federal government, are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies. European Continental Ancestry Group,White Person,Caucasian Race,Caucasoid Race,Caucasian Races,Caucasoid Races,People, White,Person, White,Race, Caucasian,Race, Caucasoid,White Peoples,White Persons

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