title: Metric assessment of the "mastoid triangle" for sex determination: a validation study.
abstract: Recently, a metric approach to skeletal sex determination was published by Paiva and Segre which is based on the summation of two triangular areas defined by three distinct craniometric landmarks: Porion, Mastoidale, and Asterion. According to the authors, values for the total triangle > or =1447.40 mm(2) are characteristic for male crania, while values < or =1260.36 mm(2) are indicative of female skulls (95% confidence). In order to evaluate the method's validity, two sex- and age-documented samples of different provenience were analyzed (N=197). The results show that while the indicated measurements display significant sex differences, the technique is of little practical meaning where a single individual must be independently classified. It is hypothesized that differences in the expression of sexual dimorphism as well as a population-specific variability of the asterion location undermine the value of the mastoid triangle as a sex determinant.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anthropologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, Colonel-Kleinmann-Weg 2 (SBII), Mainz 55099, Germany. akemkes@tholiusinstitute.com
authors.forename: Ariane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kemkes
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Göbel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D018732:Forensic Anthropology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008792:Metric System; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology*