Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 6.2
Bone segments used for stature estimation from fragmentary femora as per
Simmons et al. (1990)
.
A. VHA; B. VND; C.VHD; D. WSD; E. LCH; F. MCH; G. BCB; H. EpB. See Box 6.7 for explanation of these
abbreviations.
slightly higher (SEE 3.72
e
4.38 cm) than estimating stature from intact femora (SEE 1.46
e
1.69
cm). The medial condyle height (MCL) had the highest correlation with total skeletal height
in males (r
0.74; SEE 3.72
e
4.36 cm). All of the dimensions in females had high correlations
with total skeletal height (r
¼
0.80
e
0.85; SEE 3.82
e
4.18 cm) than those for males.
Bidmos
(2008)
concluded that the distal femur measurements produce the best correlations with
stature and femur length. Caution is recommended when considering use of these equations
for populations other than the ones from which they were derived.
¼
Estimating Stature in Children
Subadult stature estimation from long bones has not been as popular as subadult age esti-
mation from long bones (or rather, diaphyses), for multiple reasons. One of the biggest obsta-
cles when assessing stature is that sex and ancestry are next to impossible to assess in subadult
skeletal remains. In addition, there are fortunately not many large samples of known subadult
skeletal remains; however, radiographs can be substituted. The regression line in children is
also not a straight line, as the bones do not all scale isometrically (at the same rate). There
could, however, be circumstances in which stature estimation could become essential (as in
a mass disaster) and the ability to estimate stature in subadults should not be ignored.
