Accuracy of the Osteometric of the Mastoid Process for Sex Assessment in Human Skull Remains in South Indian Population and its Comparison with Other Regions of India

Introduction: the mastoid area is one of the slowest developing regions of the cranium and appears late. A high degree of sexual dimorphism has been reported in adulthood. Aim and Objective: this study focuses on providing an accurate and applicable method to determine the sexual dimorphism of the mastoid process by using readily available resources even in poorly preserved skull bones. Material and Methods: a total of 100 mastoid processes (25 males and 25 female’s skull bones) were segregated by two senior anatomists with through knowledge in anthropometric study. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined, and various mastoid parameters were measured as per the standard literature. Results: in case of males the width, height, PA, MA, and PM measurements were higher on the right side than left. Whereas the length of the mastoid process in females was found to be more on the left side by a few millimeters. Also, in females the values were almost equal on the left and right side for all the above parameters. Conclusion: it can be possible to determine the sex of the person whose identity is unknown only if we are aware of the nationality and race of the individual.