Identification of Race from the Skull

- Each of the Caucasian, Negroid and Mongolian races has certain characteristic features which differentiate each race from the others.

- The skull is the only bone of the skeleton that yields reliable information on race especially Negroid.

- The race can be detected from certain formulae. Bony measurements and ratios are considered as the surest method of race differentiation.

Various measurements of the body are useful as:

(i)Cephalic Index = Maximum transverse breadth of skull X 100

Maximum antro-posterior length of skull

The length and breadth are measured by calipers

Table (I.2): Differences of cephalic index between different races

ii) Radiohumeral and tibiofemoral ratios

N.B: Recently, differentiation of race can be based on the genetic markers e.g. the blood groups, DNA fingerprints

Characters of Negroid skull:

1. Persistent frontal (metopic) suture.

2. Rectangular orbits

3. Flat nasal bridge with wide nasal aperture.

4. Flat palate with prognathism (protrusion of the upper jaw).

5. Dolichocephaly (elongation of the antero-posterior diameter of the skull).

6. Small mastoid processes.

7. More prominent superciliary ridges.

8. Absence of the H-shaped suture, i.e. the 4 bones (frontal, parietal, temporal and sphenoid) meet at one point.

In mongoloid race: The central incisors are shovel-shaped and have a depressed groove on their posterior surface

Central incisors in Mongoloid race

Category: Forensic Medicine Notes