Articular surfaces of the pectoral girdle: sex assessment of prehistoric New Zealand Polynesian skeletal remains

Abstract

Prehistoric Polynesian skeletal remains are frequently being recovered in New Zealand due to the increasing pace of urbanisation. Since such material must often be reinterred quickly, it is important that the sex of individuals be determined from the remains in a relatively short time. For this purpose, discriminant function analysis was utilised for sex determination of prehistoric adult New Zealand Polynesian clavicles (31 male and 31 female) and scapulae (33 male and 38 female). Diameters of the acromial and sternal ends of the clavicle and the height and breadth of the scapular glenoid cavity were measured and subjected to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) direct discriminant function analysis. For the single discriminant function derived, accuracy of sex determination was 97.7% and reduction in error over random assignment by sex was 95%. This discriminant function will be a useful tool in the assessment of human remains in the forensic and archaeological context because it incorporates measurements which can be taken on incomplete bones.