1Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Science, SOBAS, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata-7000126, West Bengal
2Postgraduate Student, Department of Forensic Science, SOBAS, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata-7000126, West Bengal
3Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Science, SOBAS, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata-7000126, West Bengal
4Associate Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, All Indian Institute of Medical Science, Kalyani, West Bengal
5Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, Kolkata-700019, West Bengal
6Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Dinabandhu Mahavidyalay, Bongaon- 743235, West Bengal
*Corresponding author. Piyali Das, E-mail address: pdbd.anthro@gmail.com
Online published on 12 March, 2026.
Stature estimation is one of the key techniques in forensic applications for personal identification in the context of missing person identification, disguised identification, and dead body identification when partial skeletal or body remains are available. The present study aims to explore the relationship between craniofacial measurement and stature. This study investigates these variances and formulates distinct equations for each sex. A sample of 44 males (age 28.5909±10.76) and 56 females (age 23.9286±8.34) from the Bengali-speaking population of West Bengal was selected using purposive sampling. Standard anthropometric techniques were employed to measure parameters such as Maximum Head Length (MHL), Maximum Head Breadth (MHB), Morphological Superior Facial Height (MSFH), Bigonial Breadth (BB), Auricular Length (AL), and Cephalic Index (CI). The parametric and non-parametric statistical tests were performed in SPSS version 23, including the Pearson correlation, independent t-test, ANOVA, and paired t-test.
The result confirmed the marked sexual dimorphism, where all the anthropometric parameters are found significantly (p<0.05) higher among males than females. The craniofacial measurements of males show a significant (p<0.05) higher correlation with stature. The present study provides the anthropometric traits-specific regression equation for stature estimation. While comparing the actual stature with the predicted stature values, the study revealed that among all the studied traits, AL, BB, MHL, and MHB are the best predictors of human stature.
Therefore, the present study can serve as a sex determinant for localized cultural and biological subgroups such as the Bengali-speaking people of West Bengal.
Craniofacial anthropometry, Stature reconstruction, Sexual dimorphism, Forensic identification
