Stature estimation from fragments of the Tibia in black South Africans

Abstract

Stature is an important component of the biological profile of unknown skeletal remains and regression equations for estimating stature have been derived for both intact and fragmentary bones. These equations are population-specific and therefore need to be derived for various populations. The aim of this study was therefore to establish regression equations for estimating both total skeletal height (TSH) and tibial length (TL) from tibial fragments in black South Africans, which previously did not exist. These equations can then be used in conjunction with established equations or soft tissue correction factors to estimate stature. TSH was calculated for one hundred male and one hundred female skeletons from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons. Eleven measurements representing tibial fragments were taken on each tibia, and univariate and multivariate equations were derived for the estimation of both TSH and TL from these measurements. All tibial variables were significantly correlated with both TSH and TL, and regression equations were therefore derived for all variables. The range of standard error of estimates for multivariate equations (3.43-5.06 cm) was only slightly higher than those reported for intact tibiae (2.59-3.16) in black South Africans, and all equations estimated TSH and TL with moderate to high accuracy, with a range of 40-100 %. The direct method, whereby fragments are used to estimate TSH directly, was more accurate than the indirect method, in which TL is first estimated using fragments and this estimated TL is then used to estimate TSH. Equations using tibial fragments derived for South African whites and North American blacks both significantly overestimated stature in black South Africans, with an average overestimation of 9.17 cm using white South African equations, and a mean overestimation of 13.21 cm using equations specific for black North Americans. These results further confirm the population specificity of these equations. vi

When intact tibiae are not available for analysis in forensic cases, regression equations using tibial fragments can accurately estimate stature in black South Africans.