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Evaluating the morphological and metric sex of human crania using 3-dimensional (3D) technology

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Abstract

Identifying the skeletal remains of an unidentified individual is a priority for the medico-legal system because identification increases the chances of finding the person responsible and provides closure to the family. The purpose of this research was to develop a combined morphological and metric cranial sex assessment method using 3D technology that accommodates the medico-legal system, and their use of 3D models facilitates the technological transition to digitally archived skeletal collections. A total of 91 individuals of European biogeographical ancestry from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection (University of Tennessee Knoxville) were imaged using photogrammetry, turned into 3D models using Agisoft PhotoScan, and digitally evaluated using 3D Studio Max. This novel method digitally evaluated five cranial traits, including the nasal aperture height, nasal aperture width, mastoid length, the general size and architecture, and the supraorbital ridges, combining techniques that can only be done digitally with those that can be completed on the actual bone. Preliminary statistical tests demonstrate an overall accuracy rate of 90% when tested against the training sample (20 males, 20 females) and 75% when tested against the test sample (51 individuals). Although no intra- or inter-observer error rate tests were done, and further testing on other skeletal collections is necessary, this method allows forensic anthropologists to perform relatively easy point-to-point measurements, the quantification of traditionally non-quantified traits, the possibility of reproducible results, and the ability for future analyses or research.

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Availability of data and material

The data that supports the findings of this study is not available due to the ethical agreement signed by the researchers with the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee Knoxville.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee Knoxville for allowing the use of the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection, as well as fellow University of Toronto colleagues, Dr. Lauren Schroeder, Kathryn Campeau, and Alexandra Saly, for their help with various aspects of the project.

Funding

This research was funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council CGS-M Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada

    Victoria Berezowski, Tracy Rogers & Eugene Liscio

Authors
  1. Victoria Berezowski
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  2. Tracy Rogers
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  3. Eugene Liscio
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Victoria Berezowski.

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There are no disclaimers or conflicts of interest associated with this research.

Ethics approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Toronto Research Ethics Board, from the University of Tennessee Knoxville, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Consent for publication

Information presented in this short communication contains no personally identifiable information of the individuals included in this research. All participants are from the William M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection housed at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Authors obtained proper permissions from the head of the Forensic Anthropology Center to publish this information.

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Berezowski, V., Rogers, T. & Liscio, E. Evaluating the morphological and metric sex of human crania using 3-dimensional (3D) technology. Int J Legal Med 135, 1079–1085 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020-02305-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00414-020-02305-0

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