Stature Estimation from Skull and Facial Anthropometry in Central Indian Population

Stature is an important parameter in medico legal examination. It occurs many a times when highly decomposed or mutilated bodies or sometime only remains of skull are brought for medico-legal examination and this is most common in our region where victims are attacked by wild animals in deep forests which makes difficult to identify diseased. In such medico legal examination stature estimation is important including age, sex, race, etc. Each race requires its own formula for stature estimation because racial and ethnic variations exist in population of different geographical regions. The climate and dietary habits of the people of different regions of India are variable. Hence opinions based on the result of studies done in one population cannot be entirely applicable to other population. Considering this scenario the aim of the present study is to estimate the stature from skull and facial anthropometry in this region. The study was conducted on 470 young and healthy students' males 260 and females 210 of 18 to 24 years. Head circumference and byzigomatic diameter were taken by following standards anthropometric methods and technique. In both male and female HC had greater correlation with stature and better parameter for stature estimation than bizygomatic diameter. Stature estimation can be possible with the help of these two diameters when only skull or remains of the skull brought for medicolegal examination.