Medico-Legal Update

  • Year: 2012
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 2

A Study of Nasal Index in 60 Adult Human Skulls and its Role in Sex Determination

  • Author:
  • Shveta Swami1, VVG Patnaik2, Subash Kaushal3, Deepak Sharma4
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 182 to 186

1Associate Professor, Department of Anatomy, MMIMSR, Ambala

2Professor and Vice-Principal, Department of Anatomy, MMIMSR, Ambala

3Professor and Head, Department of Anatomy, Govt. Medical College, Patiala

4Professor, Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, M. M. College of Dental Sciences and Research, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana (Ambala)

Online published on 17 November, 2012.

Abstract

The skull appears to be the main reliable bone, apart from pelvis, exhibiting sexually dimorphic features.

the aim of the study is to carry out craniometric analysis of nasal bone and study its role in sexual dimorphism.

The skulls of 60 individuals of known sex (30 male and 30 female) of Indian Punjab region were taken as material for the present study.

A series of three metric variables: nasal height, nasal breadth and nasal index were taken using the sliding caliper.

Upon statistical analysis (stepwise discriminant function analysis) 71.7% of the skulls were correctly classified as male and female skulls. CONCLUSION: Thus the present study has established specific craniometric standards of the nasal bone for the population of this region and the data is of significance in the field of forensic medicine and physical anthropology.

Keywords

Craniometric Analysis, Nasal Index, Sexual Dimorphism