320 zyxwvutsrq Australian Dental Journal, October, zyx 1982 Volume 27, No. zy A 5 zyx Sex determination of Australian Aboriginal skulls by discriminant function analysis G. C. Townsend L. C. Richards and Amanda Carroll' zyxwvu Denral School, The University zyxwvu of Adelaide ABSTRACT-The technique of discriminant function analysis was applied to determine the sex of Australian Aboriginal skulls using data derived from standardized roentgenograms. Even when only a few well-defined landmarks were included, the functions, representing linear combinations of cranial variables, provided good discrimination. This approach proved more reliable in classification than applying previously reported functions derived for other populations. (Received f o r publication August, 1981. Revised April, zyxw 1982.) Introduction Accurate determination of the sex of human skulls is often an important aspect of anthropological research and may be vital in forensic investigations. Although specimens can generally be sexed visually by experienced investigators, this subjective approach may produce misleading results, particularly when applied to small samples from poorly-studied populations. Furthermore, visual methods of sexing skulls are likely to be inaccurate when performed by inexperienced workers. The techni- que of discriminant function analysis applied to various combinations of cranial variables overcomes some of the problems inherent in subjective methods of sexing skulls, providing a relatively simple, objective means of sexing material with a calculable reliability. Discriminant function techniques have been applied to sex crania from various populations, for example, Japanese,' North Americans and Negroes* ' and Finns.* To date, however, sex determinations of Australian Aboriginal crania have generally been limited 10 the application of various combinations of non-metric cranial Recipient of an Auctralian Dental Research and Education Tru\t Undergraduate Vacation Rexarch Scholarship, I Y X I . features' and, for the mandible only, combination5 of metric and non-metric characters." Discriminant functions for the determination of sex have not been derived specifically for Australian Aboriginalpopulations and there are a number of problems involved in applying the sex ditcriminatory criteria of one population io another.' Brown,' for ' Hanihara K . Sex diagnosis of Japanese skull5 and xapulae by means o f discriminant function. J Anthrop Soc Nippon 1959;67: 191-7. ' Giley E. Elliot 0. Sex determination by discriminant function analytic o f crania. A m J Phya Anthrop 1963;21:53-68. ' Giles E. Sex determination by discriminant function analy,i\ of Ihe mandible. A m J Phys Anthrop 1%4;22:129-36. Kajanoja P. Sex determination o f Finnith crania by discrimi- nant function analysis. A m J Phys Anthrop 1966;24:29-34. ' Larnach SL, Freedman L. Sex determination o f Aboriginal crania from coastal New South Wales, Australia. Recs Auct Museum I964,26:295-308. Larnach SL. Macintosh NWG. The mandible in Eastern Australian Aborigines. The Oceania monograph\ No. 17. Sydney: University of Sydney, 1971:31-3. ' Garn SM. Nagy JM, Sandusky ST. Differential sexual dimorphism in bone diameters o f subjects o f European and African ancestry. A m J Phys Anthrop 1972;37:127-9. Brown P. Sex determination of Aboriginal crania from the Murray River Valley: a reassessment o f the Larnach and Freedman technique. Archaeol Oceania 1981; 16:53-63.