Sexual Dimorphism of the Fovea Capitis Femoris in a Medieval Population from Gloucester, England

Authors

  • Natalie Murton Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University
  • Matteo Borrini Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University
  • Constantine Eliopoulos Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University

Keywords:

Forensic anthropology, Fovea capitis, Sexual dimorphisim, Proximal femur, Sex determination, Idiosyncratic variation

Abstract

Attempts to develop new methods of sex determination in forensic anthropology are constantly being made by researchers in the field. This paper investigates the potential of using an index of the fovea capitis femoris shape as a method of sex determination. The currently held belief is that variation within the fovea capitis is purely idiosyncratic. The study was carried out on a sample of 19 males and 19 females from the Gloucester skeletal collection housed at Liverpool John Moores University. Measurements of the maximum fovea capitis height and breadth were taken from both the left and right femora and converted into an index. It was found that while there was no significant difference in dimensions alone, there was a significant difference in index values between males and females for both the left (t(34) = 4.294, p < 0.001) and right (t(32) = 3.046. p = 0.05) fovea capitis. This method was found to have 78.1% accuracy in determining the sex of an individual. Therefore, we may now be able to state that variation of the fovea capitis is sexually dimorphic and not exclusively idiosyncratic as first thought.

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Published

2015-12-30

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2015)

Section

Articles

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