Anthropometric examination of footprints in South Indian population for sex estimation

Abstract

Background: Individualisation is essential when assessing physical evidence that is discovered at a crime scene to connect the evidence to a suspect or victim. Many studies on the identification of an individual from various evidence types have been conducted across the globe. Once identified, a person's sex completes 50% of the individualisation process, which assists the investigator in leading the investigation in a specific direction by narrowing down the pool of suspects. The current study intends to ascertain an individual's sex, be it male or female, based on footprint evidence, which is a highly neglected research area. The present study is part of an anthropometrical research in which seven different footprint measurements, specifically lengths and widths, were recorded and statistically assessed to determine a person's sex from inked bilateral footprints of 132 individuals (61 males and 71 females) aged 18–50 years, who were born in South India. Results: The t-test scores show that the right footprint parameters are similar to the left footprint, except T1 (Length between the pternion and the first toe anterior point) and B1 (Total Ball Breadth) in females. T4_R (Length between the pternion and the fourth toe anterior end of the right foot) exhibited the strongest correlation with sex. In contrast, HB_Index_R (Heel ball index of right foot) exhibited the weakest correlation. The male and female footprints achieved 77% and 93% accuracy rates, respectively. Conclusions: A person's sex can be established, to a satisfactory degree, with the help of individual footprint measurements. Further studies can develop population-specific footprint standards to help investigators hasten the identification process.

Keywords

• Forensic Podiatry
• Sex
• Identification
• Physical evidence
• Footprints
• Investigation