Multivariate analysis of sexual dimorphism in two types of dermatoglyphic traits in five endogamous populations of West Bengal, India.
Five different endogamous populations who encompass the main social rank in the caste hierarchy of West Bengal were analysed for this report. The present approach is to compare the pattern of sex differences/similarities exhibited by two different sets of dermatoglyphic traits. Cluster and discriminant analysis and Mantel test of matrix correlations were performed. The nature of variation between sexes within population groups and two types of variable sets has a good similarity in all five populations. These results strongly suggest that the two categories of dermatoglyphic variables provide similar possibilities to discriminate between the sexes in populations.
Karmakar
B
B
Anthropology and Human Genetics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta, India. bibha@isical.ac.in
Yakovenko
K
K
Kobyliansky
E
E
D000328:Adult; D003878:Dermatoglyphics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012923:Social Class