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In stature reconstruction using Fully's method, it is essential that a soft tissue correction factor be added to skeletal height in order to obtain an estimate of living stature. While some anthropologists consider Fully's method to be the most reliable for stature estimation, others consider it to be inadequate as it seems to be underestimating living stature, possibly due to an error in the magnitude of Fully's soft tissue factors. A recent study by Raxter and co-workers revised Fully's technique and also presented a new "universally applicable" soft tissue correction factor. The present study examines the reliability of soft tissue correction factors of Fully and Raxter et al. on a living sample of indigenous South African males. The current study is based on data collected from 28 indigenous South African (ISA) male volunteers. Standing height of each subject was measured using a stadiometer. Fully's method was used in the calculation of total skeletal height from a full body MRI scan of each subject. Subsequent analyses of the acquired data revealed that the previously derived soft tissue correction factors are not applicable to the studied sample, and why they are not applicable. The correction factors of Fully and Raxter et al. both significantly underestimate living stature in a living sample of indigenous South African males. Consequently, a new correction factor was calculated based on the prediction of living stature from TSH using regression analysis., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To date, only one study has investigated the potential of metatarsals in the estimation of stature for forensic purposes. The morphology of these bones from clinical and paleontological perspectives is well researched in different parts of the world including South Africa. The present study aimed at assessing the usefulness of metatarsals of South Africans in the estimation of stature. For this study, 226 complete skeletons obtained from the Raymond A. Dart Collection were used in the formulation of univariate and multivariate regression equations from six linear measurements of metatarsals. The standard error of estimate for these equations was lower than that obtained for fragments of long bones and other skeletal elements studied so far for stature estimation in South Africans with the exception of intact long bones. Therefore, regression equations presented in this study can provide a reliable estimate of stature in cases where intact long bones are not available for forensic analysis.

Regression equations for stature estimation have been derived from documented cadaver lengths available as part of the demographic information in the catalogue of skeletonised remains in different collections around the world. The Raymond A. Dart Collection is one such collection, but the reliability of documented cadaver lengths in it has been previously questioned. The aim of this study was to compare these lengths with estimated living stature using Fully's anatomical method. Living stature was estimated with this method from a total of 156 complete skeletons obtained from the Collection. These heights were then compared with the documented cadaver lengths. It was observed that the documented cadaver lengths were significantly higher than the estimated living stature using Fully's method.

The field of forensic anthropology involves the building of an antemortem profile of an individual from skeletal remains. This includes sex and race determination and age and stature estimation. Since most bones that are conventionally used for sex determination are often recovered either in a fragmented or incomplete state, it has become necessary to use denser bones that are often recovered intact, eg, the patella, calcaneus, and talus. Thus the aim of this study is to assess the sex-determining ability of each of the measurements of the talus and derive discriminant function equations for sex determination in the South African white population. Sixty male and 60 female tali of South African whites obtained from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons were used. Nine measurements were taken on each talus. Descriptive statistics and discriminant function analysis were performed on the acquired data. The basic statistics showed that all measurements were sexually dimorphic. Univariate, stepwise, and direct discriminant function equations were generated for use in sex determination. The level of average accuracy of sex classification was 80% to 82% for the univariate method, 85% to 88% for the stepwise method, and 81% to 86% for the direct method. It is concluded that the talus of South African whites is useful for sex determination.

The skull and some postcranial elements, such as the humerus, femur, and tibia, have been used in their intact states for sex determination in forensic and archaeological cases. But, in practice, these bones are often recovered in fragmented states, which render them unsuitable for use in sex determination. The calcaneus is a compact bone that is able to withstand high tensile forces. Some of its parameters have been used for sex determination in American whites and blacks (1) and Italians (2). This bone has not been used for sex determination in the South African white population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the degree of sexual dimorphism of the calcaneus of the South African white population sample, derive discriminant function score equations for use in sex determination, and determine the level of accuracy of its sex-determining ability. Nine parameters were measured on each pair of 53 male and 60 female calcanei of known South African white skeletons, obtained by a random sampling technique from the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. Basic statistic and discriminant function analysis was performed on the acquired data. The basic statistics showed that all measured parameters were sexually dimorphic. Discriminant function score equations were generated for use in sex determination. The average accuracy of sex classification ranged from 73 to 86% for the univariate method, 81 to 91% for the stepwise method, and 82 to 92% for the direct method. It is concluded that the calcaneus is useful for sex determination in the South African white population.