A study on the reliability and accuracy of stature estimation from handprint in adults of ethnic Tamil origin

Abstract

Stature estimation is an important task for Forensic anthropologists and this greatly helps when dismembered remains are found. In a  big country like India where there are so many diverse ethnicities a single stature estimation formula cannot be applied for all. There  is a correlation between dimensions of various parts of our limbs and stature. Handprint dimensions in both males and females have  been studied here to find out the reliability and accuracy of the correlation and to develop a multiple regression formula for males and  females. In this study the Pearson correlation test showed that there is a strong statistical significance of correlation between male  hand print dimensions (p value <.000) and stature and also between the hand print dimensions of the right and left hand-, however in  females there is no significant statistical correlation between hand print length and breadth with stature (p value >.551) but there was  a positive correlation with palm print dimensions and stature, in females (p value <.000) The multiple regression formula developed  for male is Y=146.32+3.15X +4.36X +0.21X +0.51X +0.96X ; and for females it is Y=150.43+0.06X +1.44X +2.65X . The standard 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 error of estimate was very less with value of 1.4047 in males and 1.5367 in females