Evaluation of morphological sex determinations by molecular analyses

The study presents an evaluation of morphological sex determinations of adult skeletal individuals based on traits of the ossa coxae and the cranium. The evaluation criterion was genetic analysis of the amelogenine gene, which represents parts of the X- and the Y-chromosome (Mannucci et al. 1994). The study was carried out on 33 human skeletons from an early modern burial site in Lower Saxony. In this skeletal series, 88% of the morphological sex determinations matched the genetic sex. The percentage of matches was further improved, if only those morphological determinations were taken into account that were classified as unambiguous by a self-evaluation. In the reverse case, a significant number of non-matching determinations (33%) resulted from those cases in which a sex determination still seemed possible but was classified as "ambiguous" in the self-evaluation. At least within this skeletal series, no clear connection could be detected between the number of matching results and the presence or absence of the ossa coxae. This might be due to a strong cranial dimorphism within this particular skeletal series.

Biology · Evolutionary biology · Series (stratigraphy) · Sexual dimorphism · Zoology · Anatomy · Forensic and Genetic Research · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies · Paleontology · Sexual Differentiation and Disorders

• Ancient DNA Analysis of the Delta F508 Mutation

  Barbara Bramanti, Hummel et al.•Human Biology•2003

  Añadir item

• Ancient DNA in anthropology

  Open Access•Frederika A Kaestle, K Ann Horsburgh•American Journal of Physical…•2002

  Añadir item

• Sex determination of fetal and neonate skeletons by means of discriminant analysis

  Open Access•Holger Schutkowski•International Journal of…•1987

  Añadir item