Estimation of sex in skulls using physical anthropology and DNA

• Grant number: 12/21101-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: May 01, 2013 - April 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Rogério Nogueira de Oliveira
• Grantee: Rogério Nogueira de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Estimation of sex of bones is an important phase in the process of human identification. In Brazil some validation studies have been done, but the variety of methodologies and anatomical regions yet rated is large and therefore need to increase the arsenal of methods available Physical Anthropology passing through an adaptation from collections of skulls. We will use an international protocol (Forensic Data Bank) for quantitivativas measures, and the results will be sent to this database for archiving. Since the measurement made use of qualitative methodology Walker (2008), used in a recent study, involving three different populations, in which we selected five morphological criteria and easily applicable impossible to be measured quantitatively, with a level of accuracy of 88%. But the central hypothesis of the study involves the analysis of genetic material recovery - amelogenin - from teeth and / or vertebrae, since we assume that the analysis of physical anthropology will be more effective than DNA, even though DNA does not need the validation regions amelogenia and the same in any population recovery from biological material degraded or was subject to environmental factors will diminish the effectiveness of genetic method. What we have then how objectives are to: 1) validation of antroplogia physics to regional standards and their dissemination in an international database and 2) the confrontation of these methods of physical anthropology with the DNA hit guessing which points will be higher in methods physical anthropology. (AU)