Estimation of the Biological Profile through the Palate: A Cross-Sectional Study on Dry Skulls

Abstract

The estimation of biological sex (BSE), age (AE), ancestry (AnE), and stature are essential for establishing the biological profile (BP) of an unidentified individual. The skeletal elements that provide the highest technical accuracy for biological profiling are the pelvis, long bones, and skull. Since these bones are not always available and many undergo taphonomic processes, it is important to study more resistant structures, such as the palate. In this context, a cross-sectional study was conducted using metric and non-metric characteristics of the palate from 130 dry skulls examined at the André Roquette Medical Examiner’s Office (Civil Police of the State of Minas Gerais). Most individuals were male, predominantly aged between 30 and 59 years, and of Asian ancestry. Nearly all palatal measurements were significantly larger in males. The palatal sutures showed progressively greater degrees of closure with increasing age, and the distance between the postalveolar points showed a negative correlation with age. This measurement, as well as the distance between the incisive foramen and the posterior nasal spine, and the degree of closure of the anterior median palatal suture, were independently and significantly associated with sex, allowing the development of a predictive scoring system. No correlation was found between any of the evaluated parameters and ancestry or stature. The findings of this study reinforce the role of the palate in biological sex and age estimation, but indicate that it should be used with caution when defining the biological profile.

Keywords

Palato
Antropologia Forense
Medicina Legal
Crânio
Determinação do sexo pelo esqueleto
Determinação da idade pelo esqueleto
Palate
Forensic Anthropology
Forensic Medicine
Skull
Sex Estimation from the Skeleton
Age Estimation from the Skeleton
Paladar
Antropología Forense
Medicina Legal
Cráneo
Determinación del Sexo a partir del Esqueleto
Determinación de la Edad a partir del Esqueleto

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Author(s)

  • Leonardo Santos Bordoni,
  • Alan Rodrigues de Almeida Paiva,
  • Andre Lucas Moni Soares,
  • Raphael Resende Dornelas,
  • Thiago Botelho Athayde,
  • Victor Campos Boson,
  • Polyanna Helena Coelho Bordoni,

    • Leonardo Santos Bordoni

    Instituto Médico Legal André Roquette (IMLAR), Polícia Civil do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasil. Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano (MG), Brasil. Escola de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto (MG), Brasil. Faculdade de Medicina de Barbacena (FAME-FUNJOB), Barbacena (MG), Brasil.

                

    Alan Rodrigues de Almeida Paiva

    Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano (MG), Brasil.

               

    Andre Lucas Moni Soares

    Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano (MG), Brasil.

              

    Raphael Resende Dornelas

    Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano (MG), Brasil.

             

    Thiago Botelho Athayde

    Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano (MG), Brasil.

            

    Victor Campos Boson

    Faculdade da Saúde e Ecologia Humana (FASEH), Vespasiano (MG), Brasil.

           

    Polyanna Helena Coelho Bordoni

    Instituto Médico Legal André Roquette (IMLAR), Polícia Civil do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasil

     

                 

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