Sex Prediction Using Finger, Hand and Foot Measurements for Forensic Identification in a Nigerian Population

Year 2020, , 432 - 445, 01.06.2020

Onyekachi Ogbonnaya Iroanya , Tochukwu Frank Egwuatu Oluwabusayo Temitope Talabı İfeoluwa Stella Ogunleye

https://doi.org/10.16984/saufenbilder.566377

Cited By: 3

Abstract

In
forensics, the identification of recovered human remains is important and of great significance. Sex determination is the most important primary
parameter in human identification. We investigated the predictive
role of the anthropometric measurements of hand, finger and foot dimensions in
sex determination. The main objective was to correlate sexual dimorphism with
hand, finger and foot dimensions and determine their sectioning point(s) and
also ascertain the variables which can better predict sex.  A
cross sectional study was carried out using 200 students from Faculty
of Science, University of Lagos, Nigeria aged 16-30 years. The
collected data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 23. The average hand length,
breadth and index were found to be 17.44mm, 8.09mm and 0.3781mm greater in male
compared to the female subjects respectively, with no significant (p<0.05) difference
between the right and left hand in the same sex.
The resultant hand index suggests the females have higher dolichocheir morphology
compared
to males and no hyperbrachycheir morphology. The cutoff point index for the right (≤43.41mm) and left
(≤42.90mm) hand is suggestive of female, but is suggestive of male if the right
hand is >43.41mm and left hand is >42.90mm. A foot index section points for
the right (347.9mm) and left (349.4mm) foot was taken for male
and female foot identification. A cut
of point of 348.7mm was obtained to define sexual dimorphism of the foot index.
There was strong correlation between foot dimensions of both feet for the same
sex (p<0.01) while the foot dimensions of the male and the female were
significantly (p<0.05) different. The hand (length and breadth),
index/ring fingers ratio, foot (length and breadth) and ankle breadth are therefore
important indices and forensic identification tool
for
predicting sexual dimorphism and identifying human remains for medicolegal
examinations.

Keywords

sexual dimorphism, index/ring fingers ratio, hand and foot dimension, dolichocheir, medicolegal examinations

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