Anthropological Review • Vol. 80(3), 287–300 (2017)
Sex estimation of upper long bones by selected
measurements in a Radom (Poland) population
from the 18th and 19th centuries AD
Jacek Tomczyk
1
, Joanna Nieczuja-Dwojacka
2
, Marta Zalewska
3
,
Wojciech Niemiro
4,5
, Wioleta Olczyk
2
1
Department of Biological Anthropology, Institute of Ecology and Bioethics, Cardinal Stefan
Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Poland
2
Department of Human Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Cardinal
Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, Poland
3
Department of Environmental Hazard Prevention and Allergology, Medical University
of Warsaw, Poland
4
Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Mechanics, University of Warsaw, Poland
5
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń,
Poland
AbstrAct: Several studies have shown that sex estimation methods based on measurements of the
skeleton are specifc to populations. Metric traits of the upper long bones have been reported as relia-
ble indicators of sex. This study was designed to determine whether the four long bones can be used
for the sex estimation of an historical skeletal population from Radom (Poland). The material used
consists of the bones of 169 adult individuals (including 103 males and 66 females) from the 18th
and 19th centuries. Twelve measurements were recovered from clavicle, humerus, radius and ulna.
The initial comparison of males and females indicated signifcant differences in all measurements (p <
0.0001). The accuracy of sex estimation ranged from 68% to 84%. The best predictor for sex estimation of
all the measurements in Radom’s population was the maximum length of the radius (84%), and the ulna
(83%), and the vertical diameter of the humeral head (83%). The Generalized Linear Model (GLM) detect-
ed the strongest signifcant relationship between referential sex and the vertical diameter of the humeral
head (p < 0.0001), followed by the maximal length of the ulna (p = 0.0117). In other measurements of the
upper long bones, GLM did not detect statistically signifcant differences.
Key words: bioarchaeology, sex estimation, upper extremities long bones
Original Research Article Received: June 7, 2017; Accepted for publication: July 10, 2017
DOI: 10.1515/anre-2017-0019
© 2017 Polish Anthropological Society
Sex estimation from upper long bones
Jacek Tomczyk, Joanna Nieczuja-Dwojacka, Marta Zalewska, WojciechNiemiro, Wioleta
Olczyk