Publish With ASTM
Book Guide
Journals
 
Login Site Map Online Support Contact Web Policies IP Policy
Site Search
 
 
View Shopping Cart

Digital Library/Journal of Forensic Sciences/

Population variation in femur subtrochanteric shape
Wescott DJ

Download this paper for $25 PDF (136K)         View License Agreement


Source: JFS (January 2005)

Abstract
Use of proximal femur shape to determine ancestry has appeal, but its validity is problematic because of unaddressed issues associated with skeletal plasticity, within- and between-population variation, sample selection, and interobserver error. In this paper, I inspect within- and between-group variation in proximal femur shape using five groups (American Blacks, American Whites, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Polynesians), and examine the affect of three environmental variables (subsistence strategy, physical terrain, and geographical region). Finally, I consider the validity of using the proximal femur to assess ancestry. The results show that there is significant within-group variation in proximal femur shape. Among Native Americans, both geographical location and subsistence strategy have a significant affect on proximal femur shape. Nevertheless, this study generally verifies the assertion that the proximal femur can be used reliably to distinguish Native Americans from American Blacks and Whites, but its precision may be reduced in some geographical regions.

Keywords:
eurymeria, femur, forensic anthropology, forensic science, platymeria, stenomeria, subtrochanteric shape
ISSN: 0022-1198
Paper ID: JFS2004281
DOI: 10.1520/JFS2004281

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.
Author Wescott DJ Title Population variation in femur subtrochanteric shape Symposium , Committee on

 
Site Map | Online Support | Contact | Privacy Policy | IP Policy
Copyright © 1996-2008 ASTM. All Rights Reserved.
ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959 USA