Sex determination by tooth size in a sample of Greek population

Publication date: August 2014 Source:HOMO - Journal of Comparative Human Biology, Volume 65, Issue 4 Author(s): A.G. Mitsea , K. Moraitis , G. Leon , K. Nicopoulou-Karayianni , C. Spiliopoulou Sex assessment from tooth measurements can be of major importance for forensic and bioarchaeological investigations, especially when only teeth or jaws are available. The purpose of this study is to assess the reliability and applicability of establishing sex identity in a sample of Greek population using the discriminant function proposed by Rösing et al. (1995). The study comprised of 172 dental casts derived from two private orthodontic clinics in Athens. The individuals were randomly selected and all had clear medical history. The mesiodistal crown diameters of all the teeth were measured apart from those of the 3rd molars. The values quoted for the sample to which the discriminant function was first applied were similar to those obtained for the Greek sample. The results of the preliminary statistical analysis did not support the use of the specific discriminant function for a reliable determination of sex by means of the mesiodistal diameter of the teeth. However, there was considerable variation between different populations and this might explain the reason for lack of discriminating power of the specific function in the Greek population. In order to investigate whether a better discriminant function could be obtained using the Greek data, separate discriminant functio...
Source: HOMO Journal of Comparative Human Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: research