Craniofacial morphometric study of adult Ogoni people of Nigeria

Abstract

Craniofacial anthropometry requires series of direct standard anthropometric measurement of the bones of the human skull. The study was aimed at establishing baseline data of the craniofacial parameters which are head circumference, intercanthal distances, canthal index and circumference interorbital index of the adult Ogonis of Nigeria. A total of three hundred and eighty two (382) subjects were selected randomly from Kibagha in Gokana local government area, Bori in Khana local government area, Nonwa in Tai local government area and Alesa in Eleme local government area all in Ogoni. Three hundred and eighty two (382) subjects which include one hundred and eighty nine (189) and one hundred and ninety three (193) for males and females respectively with a non-stretchable plastic ruler with 0.5cm interval was used for the measurement and the data. The results showed among others, the mean age value as 30.81±10.13 for male and 32.64±10.91 for female, head circumference (male 56.41±1.52cm, female57.05±2.02cm), intercanthal distance (male 3.56±0.30cm, female 3.47±0.26), outer canthal distance (male 12.53±0.49cm, female 12.39±0.55cm), canthal index (male 28.41±1.79cm, female 28.15±1.83cm) and circumference inter-orbital index (male 6.31±0.44cm, female 6.09±0.40cm). It showed statistical significant difference between the male and female among the parameters measured indicating sexual dimorphism. Discriminate function analysis of Wilkis’ Lambda test also confirms accurateness and predictability of the statistical significant difference of male and female measured variables. The knowledge from the study can provide information for craniofacial assessment for important clinical questions in research especially during surgery on the cranium development forensic investigation in personal identification in the population and society at large.