Sakarya Üniversitesi Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü Dergisi (Jun 2020)

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

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

DOI
https://doi.org/10.16984/saufenbilder.566377
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 3
pp. 432 – 445

Abstract

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Inforensics, the identification of recovered human remains is important and of great significance. Sex determination is the most important primaryparameter in human identification. We investigated the predictiverole of the anthropometric measurements of hand, finger and foot dimensions insex determination. The main objective was to correlate sexual dimorphism withhand, finger and foot dimensions and determine their sectioning point(s) andalso ascertain the variables which can better predict sex. Across sectional study was carried out using 200 students from Facultyof Science, University of Lagos, Nigeria aged 16-30 years. Thecollected 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 malecompared to the female subjects respectively, with no significant (p<0.05) differencebetween the right and left hand in the same sex.The resultant hand index suggests the females have higher dolichocheir morphologycomparedto 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 righthand is >43.41mm and left hand is >42.90mm. A foot index section points forthe right (347.9mm) and left (349.4mm) foot was taken for maleand female foot identification. A cutof 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 samesex (p<0.01) while the foot dimensions of the male and the female weresignificantly (p<0.05) different. The hand (length and breadth),index/ring fingers ratio, foot (length and breadth) and ankle breadth are thereforeimportant indices and forensic identification toolforpredicting sexual dimorphism and identifying human remains for medicolegalexaminations.

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