INVESTIGADORES
VARELA Hector Hugo
artículos
Título:
Una Técnica Numérica Para la Determinación del Sexo en Poblaciones Prehistóricas del Norte de Chile
Autor/es:
VARELA, H.H.; VALDANO, S.G.; COCILOVO, J.A.
Revista:
Antropología Biológica
Editorial:
Asociación Latinoamericana de Antropología Biológica
Referencias:
Lugar: Santiago; Año: 1991 vol. 1 p. 49 - 61
Resumen:
Sex determination in prehistoric human remains usually based upon the macroscopic examination of gross morphology features, thus incorporating a great amount of uncertainty which depends on the expression os sexual dimorphism and expertise of the researcher. This paper presents a more objective approach for sex estimation based on the use of a discriminant analysis function technique. A number of cranial measurements not influences by artificial deformation were measured in a random sample of prehistoric groups from Northern Chile (115 male and 93 female). Measurements in relation to the face, skull and cranium as a whole, were computerized. In each case the original group of variable was statistically evaluated in order to know the distribution of each variable (normality test), the homogeneity of the variances and mean values between sex (test for homocedasticity and differences between means) and its discriminant power (increment of the D function). In this manner we obtained a reliable subset of variables for the construction of the discriminant functions. When considering each region separately, 83 to 87% of the crania were correctly placed, when using the entire cranium (face plus skull) accuracy increased from 90 to 92%. With this works we developed a simple computer program for sex determination in materials of the same region from which our sample came. This program can be requested from any the authors of this paper.