Abstract
Aim: To test if handprint measurements show sexual dimorphism in the Croatian population, and to develop population-specific sex estimation standards. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 adult volunteers from a Croatian population (50 males and 50 females) aged between 20 and 45 years. Using a fingerprint ink, we collected handprints of both hands on a paper sheet. We scanned handprints and took 13 measurements. Bilateral asymmetry and sexual dimorphism of the measurements was analyzed and sex estimation models were developed using linear discriminant analysis. Results: All measurements exhibited statistically significant sexual dimorphism (P<0.001). Univariate discriminant functions provided sexing accuracy from 75% to 92%. The highest accuracy rate (92%) and the lowest sexing bias (0%) was obtained using the handprint breadth. A multivariate discriminant function could estimate sex with 93% accuracy, but with more pronounced sexing bias (10%). Conclusion: We showed that handprint measurements could be used for sex estimation in the Croatian population with a high accuracy level. Therefore, they could serve as a valuable tool for biological profiling of perpetrators in criminal investigations when other evidence is not conclusive.
Highlights
Handprints are a conclusive type of evidence often available at the scenes of various crime types
We showed that handprint measurements could be used for sex estimation in the Croatian population with a high accuracy level
They could serve as a valuable tool for biological profiling of perpetrators in criminal investigations when other evidence is not conclusive
Summary
Handprints are a conclusive type of evidence often available at the scenes of various crime types. Studies that consider handprint measurements have been conducted only in Western Australian [6] and French [13] population samples but showed great potential for application in forensic investigations. Both studies revealed that dimensions of handprints demonstrate differences between males and females and could be used to develop sex classification models. Like most of the anthropometric methods, their major limitation is sensitivity to the interpopulation differences in body size, robusticity, and sexual dimorphism [14, 15] They must be developed and validated on each population separately, especially considering the level of scientific rigor inherent in modern forensic science
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