Mid-face Morphometrics and Sexual Dimorphism

This study investigates mid-face morphometrics and sexual dimorphism in a Yoruba population from southwestern Nigeria. A total of 300 participants (112 males, 188 females) aged 16-55 years were examined. Nine mid-facial measurements were taken using standardized anthropometric techniques. Independent samples t-tests revealed significant sexual dimorphism in most variables, with males generally exhibiting larger dimensions. However, nasal height and upper facial height showed no significant differences between sexes. A discriminant function analysis (DFA) was performed to assess the potential for sex determination using these measurements. The DFA model achieved a classification accuracy of 75.3%, with five key variables (left ear width, facial width, nasal width, right ear width, and nasal height) identified as significant discriminators. This accuracy is comparable to similar studies in other populations, suggesting the model's potential utility in forensic applications. The study provides valuable population-specific data on mid-face morphometrics for the Yoruba ethnic group, contributing to the fields of forensic anthropology, plastic surgery, and biometrics. The findings highlight the importance of considering population-specific variations in facial morphology and offer a foundation for future research in facial anthropometry and its applications.