Dominance of the Leptoprosopic Face and Mesorrhine Nose Types: Does Stature and Facial Types Matter in Northern Nigerian Adults?

Abstract

World scientists are using facial morphometry as a reconstructive option in the treatment of patients and ethnic differentiations. Hence, the authors aimed to study the naso-facial dimensions of northern population in Nigeria. About 500 subjects (Igede, n = 260 and Idoma, n = 240) were recruited from schools in the Benue-Plateau valley in 2014-2015 academic session. Notable parameters measured using vernier caliper were upper facial length, lower facial length, total facial indices, nasal length, nasal width, and nasal indices. Also, stature was measured to the nearest centimeters with stadiometer. Taller Idoma males than Igede males (169.25 ± 8.92, 167.13 ± 8.99), and taller Igede females than Idoma females (164.57 ± 8.77, 163.45 ± 8.94). The mean facial indices of Idoma subjects showed 97.89 ± 8.53 and 97.82 ± 8.11 with nasal indices of 77.77 ± 7.34 and 80.42 ± 7.53, whereas Igede subjects showed 96.88 ± 8.61: 97.83 ± 8.36 with nasal indices of 75.59 ± 7.45 and 77.55 ± 0.21. Both ethnic groups showed dominance of the leptoprosopic face type and mesorrhine nose type. All R2 values appeared to be above 0.5% (P < 0.05), where Igede males and females were 0.72, 0.71: 0.82, 0.81, and 0.69, 0.65 and 0.72, 0.73 for stature with total facial indices, and nasal indices respectively. Facial and nasal types serve as good predictors of stature, important for dimorphic and ethnic classifications in time of forensic needs.