engleski

Evaluation of the morphology of greater sciatic notch for sex estimation

The aim of this study was to test the repeatability and applicability of a greater sciatic notch for sex estimation on the medieval population from Eastern Adriatic Coast. Two experienced researchers and two students scored the morphology of greater sciatic notch twice according to scoring standards by Buikstra and Ubelaker on 32 individuals (19 males and 13 females) with sex determined by amelogenin analysis in previous research. We tested intraobserver and interobserver error using Cohen’s Weighted Kappa and interclass correlation coefficient. We computed the frequencies of the scores by sex and calculated the probability of being male and female for each score. Also, we estimated sex of each individual according to previously published probabilities by Walker. The result of this study showed that researcher’s experience has contributed to the repeatability of scoring. We revealed that there is some degree of sexual dimorphism in the morphology of the greater sciatic notch but not sufficient for a reliable sex assessment. Therefore, although the sample size was not big enough to completely exclude greater sciatic notch as sex indicator, we showed that it should be used with caution, and if possible, not as a standalone indicator for making the conclusion about the sex of an individual.

greater sciatic notch, sex estimation, croatian medieval population

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