Development of a Generalized Discriminant Function for Cross-Population Determination of Sex from Long Bones of the Arm and Leg

Abstract

ABSTRACTExplanations are provided for the multivariate statistical techniques which utilize ordinarily reported basic statistics for examining interpopulation variation of sexual dimorphism and for constructing a common discriminant function for sex determination. These techniques are used to analyze extremity long bone measurement data in 11 populations. Interpopulation variation of sexual dimorphism has often been employed to interpret both the interpopulation variation of coefficients of sex discriminant function and the decrease of correct diagnosis rate in cross-population application. Statistical examination shows, however, that many such phenomena are attributable to sampling errors. Although significant variation of sexual dimorphism certainly exists even among subpopulations within the modern Japanese, this does not prohibit use of the formally derived common discriminant function. Its discriminant efficiency varies among populations, but compares well with that of each population-specific functi...