Metric method for sex determination based on the 12th thoracic vertebra in contemporary north-easterners in China

Many studies have shown that discriminant function equations, used in the determination of sex from skeletons, are population specific. The aim of the present research was to develop discriminant function equations for sex determination using the 12th thoracic vertebra (T12) in a contemporary northeast Chinese sample and to investigate whether the differences of the T12 between males and females consist more in shape than in size. Thirty linear measurements were obtained from 141 three-dimensional reconstructed T12 models (78 males and 63 females), and then 112 ratios were calculated by using the thirty linear measurements. Of the 30 linear measurements, 28 were sexually dimorphic, and their univariate discriminant function equations predicted sex with 56.4–90.1% accuracies. Of the 112 ratios, 62 were sexually dimorphic, with accuracies ranging from 56.7% to 73.8%. Using stepwise method of discriminant function analysis, four variables predicted sex with 94.2% accuracy. It is concluded that the T12 vertebra of the north-easterners in China is useful for sex determination, and the size of the T12 vertebra contributes more than the shape in the differences of the T12 vertebra between males and females.