DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements

Determination of the sex of human bone remains represents a crucial stage in any palaeoanthropological study. The palaeobiological or palaeoethnological interpretations depend on its reliability. It is acknowledged that the adult hip-bone (os coxae) is by far the best non-population-specific indicat...

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Main Authors: Pascal Murail, Jaroslav Brůžek, Francis Houët, Eugénia Cunha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société d'Anthropologie de Paris 2005-12-01
Series:Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/1157
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author Pascal Murail
Jaroslav Brůžek
Francis Houët
Eugénia Cunha
author_facet Pascal Murail
Jaroslav Brůžek
Francis Houët
Eugénia Cunha
author_sort Pascal Murail
collection DOAJ
description Determination of the sex of human bone remains represents a crucial stage in any palaeoanthropological study. The palaeobiological or palaeoethnological interpretations depend on its reliability. It is acknowledged that the adult hip-bone (os coxae) is by far the best non-population-specific indicator for reliable sex determination of adults. However, we clarify here a certain number of limitations which lower the reliability and ease of application of the usual methods. We propose a new tool—Probabilistic Sex Diagnosis (DSP: Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste)—based on a worldwide hip-bone metrical database (2040 adult specimens of known sex from 12 different reference populations). Sex is determined by comparing the specimen’s measurements to those from the database and by computing the individual probability of being female or male, from any combination of at least four variables among ten. This method is very easy to learn and apply; it provides sex diagnosis for any anatomically modern human, whatever population the specimen belongs to. Numerous combinations allow sex diagnosis of either well—preserved hip-bones or damaged ones. DSP is thus useful for both archaeological and forensic purposes. Its accuracy is close to 100%. The DSP computing program is available at the following web link: http://www.pacea.u-bordeaux1.fr/publication/dspv1.html
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series Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris
spelling doaj-art-4628282cf4304518999b50d7c49c1a312025-01-30T11:28:04ZengSociété d'Anthropologie de ParisBulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris1777-54692005-12-0117416717610.4000/bmsap.1157DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurementsPascal MurailJaroslav BrůžekFrancis HouëtEugénia CunhaDetermination of the sex of human bone remains represents a crucial stage in any palaeoanthropological study. The palaeobiological or palaeoethnological interpretations depend on its reliability. It is acknowledged that the adult hip-bone (os coxae) is by far the best non-population-specific indicator for reliable sex determination of adults. However, we clarify here a certain number of limitations which lower the reliability and ease of application of the usual methods. We propose a new tool—Probabilistic Sex Diagnosis (DSP: Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste)—based on a worldwide hip-bone metrical database (2040 adult specimens of known sex from 12 different reference populations). Sex is determined by comparing the specimen’s measurements to those from the database and by computing the individual probability of being female or male, from any combination of at least four variables among ten. This method is very easy to learn and apply; it provides sex diagnosis for any anatomically modern human, whatever population the specimen belongs to. Numerous combinations allow sex diagnosis of either well—preserved hip-bones or damaged ones. DSP is thus useful for both archaeological and forensic purposes. Its accuracy is close to 100%. The DSP computing program is available at the following web link: http://www.pacea.u-bordeaux1.fr/publication/dspv1.htmlhttps://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/1157probabilistic sex diagnosis (DSP)hip-boneosteometricsanatomically modern humansworldwide variabilitybioarchaeology
spellingShingle Pascal Murail
Jaroslav Brůžek
Francis Houët
Eugénia Cunha
DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements
Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris
probabilistic sex diagnosis (DSP)
hip-bone
osteometrics
anatomically modern humans
worldwide variability
bioarchaeology
title DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements
title_full DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements
title_fullStr DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements
title_full_unstemmed DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements
title_short DSP: A tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip-bone measurements
title_sort dsp a tool for probabilistic sex diagnosis using worldwide variability in hip bone measurements
topic probabilistic sex diagnosis (DSP)
hip-bone
osteometrics
anatomically modern humans
worldwide variability
bioarchaeology
url https://journals.openedition.org/bmsap/1157
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