Cephalic Index of southern Kerala Population− An Autopsy study

Identification denotes determination or establishment of individuality of a person, living or dead. The present study is designed to help in identification of an individual by understanding the variations in cranial dimensions and to establish the cephalic index of the population. The study was conducted on 200 dead bodies (100 males and 100 females) of southern Kerala region belonging to the districts of Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam. Using the collected data, cephalic index was calculated. The cephalic index of males ranged from 68.85 to 81.01, with mean value of 73.92, whereas in females it varied from 71.43 to 83.63 with mean value of 76.66. The difference in means was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). The predominant head type in males was dolicocephalic with 64% and in females it was mesocephalic with 79%. Overall mean cephalic index was 75.29