17322
Accession Number
26454
Author
Meindl, Richard S.; Lovejoy, C. Owen; Mensforth, Robert P.; Don Carlos, Lydia
Author Affiliation
Kent State University. Departments of Anthropology and Biology
Title Of Article Chaper
Accuracy and direction of error in the sexing of the skeleton: implications for paleodemography
Title Of Journal Book
American journal of physical anthropology
Volume
68
Issue
1
Pages
79-85
Collation
7 tables
Reference Bibliography
refs.
ISSN
0002-9483
Language Of Text
English
Language Of Summary
English
Literature Type
Serial
Literature Level
Analytic
Abstract
Determinations of sex by subjective assessment of the skulls from a skeletal series of known sex were compared to fully independent assessments based on pelves of the same specimens. Within-sex correlations of cranial and pelvic morphologies measured on an android-gynecoid scale were smaller than expected. Subjective assessment by means of the skull compared favorably to that of the linear discriminant functions of Giles and Elliot; however, the direction of error was similar for both procedures. Of course, estimations based on the pelves were generally superior to both in terms of frequency and overall bias of error. The bias of sex estimation for palaeodemographic purposes is contingent upon completeness of skeletal remains.
Keywords
skeleton;archaeozoology;sex determination;skull;pelvis; paleodemography
pub_id
17322