Sex determination using mandibular canine among Northeastern Nigerian population

Abstract

Establishing a person's identity is important for both legal and humanitarian purposes. Sex determination is a key characteristic used in the identification of a deceased individual. The aim of this study was to determine sex by using mandibular canines among individuals in the Northeastern Nigerian population. Two hundred and eight individuals (102 men and 106 women) participated in this study. The mesiodistal widths of the mandibular canines and intercanine distances were measured using a vernier caliper and a divider. Step-wise logistic regression analyses were used to determine sex based on mandibular parameters. Male participants had significantly higher mandibular mesiodistal width than female participants. Similarly, the canine index was significantly higher in male participants than in female participants. The mesiodistal width of the left mandibular canine exhibited the highest sexual dimorphism (9.78%) and was the best characteristic for use in determining sex, with an accuracy of 75%. Among the Northwestern Nigerian population, sex can be most accurately determined using the mesiodistal width of the left mandibular canine.

Keywords

• Forensic sciences
• mandibular canine
• Northeastern Nigeria
• sex determination