Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation
Abstract The cranial trait scoring method presented in Buikstra and Ubelaker (Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Fayetteville, AR: Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series No. 44, 1994) and Walker (Am J Phys Anthropol, 136, 2008 and 39) is the most common nonmetric crani...
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crwiley:10.1111/1556-4029.13013 2024-06-23T07:48:06+00:00 Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation Lewis, Cheyenne J. Garvin, Heather M. NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Sigma Xi GIAR 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13013 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2F1556-4029.13013 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1556-4029.13013 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Journal of Forensic Sciences volume 61, issue 3, page 743-751 ISSN 0022-1198 1556-4029 journal-article 2016 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13013 2024-06-13T04:23:48Z Abstract The cranial trait scoring method presented in Buikstra and Ubelaker (Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Fayetteville, AR: Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series No. 44, 1994) and Walker (Am J Phys Anthropol, 136, 2008 and 39) is the most common nonmetric cranial sex estimation method utilized by physical and forensic anthropologists. As such, the reliability and accuracy of the method is vital to ensure its validity in forensic applications. In this study, inter‐ and intra‐observer error rates for the Walker scoring method were calculated using a sample of U.S. White and Black individuals ( n = 135). Cohen's weighted kappas, intraclass correlation coefficients, and percentage agreements indicate good agreement between trials and observers for all traits except the mental eminence. Slight disagreement in scoring, however, was found to impact sex classifications, leading to lower accuracy rates than those published by Walker. Furthermore, experience does appear to impact trait scoring and sex classification. The use of revised population‐specific equations that avoid the mental eminence is highly recommended to minimize the potential for misclassifications. Article in Journal/Newspaper Archeological Survey Wiley Online Library Journal of Forensic Sciences 61 3 743 751 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
description |
Abstract The cranial trait scoring method presented in Buikstra and Ubelaker (Standards for data collection from human skeletal remains. Fayetteville, AR: Arkansas Archeological Survey Research Series No. 44, 1994) and Walker (Am J Phys Anthropol, 136, 2008 and 39) is the most common nonmetric cranial sex estimation method utilized by physical and forensic anthropologists. As such, the reliability and accuracy of the method is vital to ensure its validity in forensic applications. In this study, inter‐ and intra‐observer error rates for the Walker scoring method were calculated using a sample of U.S. White and Black individuals ( n = 135). Cohen's weighted kappas, intraclass correlation coefficients, and percentage agreements indicate good agreement between trials and observers for all traits except the mental eminence. Slight disagreement in scoring, however, was found to impact sex classifications, leading to lower accuracy rates than those published by Walker. Furthermore, experience does appear to impact trait scoring and sex classification. The use of revised population‐specific equations that avoid the mental eminence is highly recommended to minimize the potential for misclassifications. |
author2 |
NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Sigma Xi GIAR |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lewis, Cheyenne J. Garvin, Heather M. |
spellingShingle |
Lewis, Cheyenne J. Garvin, Heather M. Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation |
author_facet |
Lewis, Cheyenne J. Garvin, Heather M. |
author_sort |
Lewis, Cheyenne J. |
title |
Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation |
title_short |
Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation |
title_full |
Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation |
title_fullStr |
Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reliability of the Walker Cranial Nonmetric Method and Implications for Sex Estimation |
title_sort |
reliability of the walker cranial nonmetric method and implications for sex estimation |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13013 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2F1556-4029.13013 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1556-4029.13013 |
genre |
Archeological Survey |
genre_facet |
Archeological Survey |
op_source |
Journal of Forensic Sciences volume 61, issue 3, page 743-751 ISSN 0022-1198 1556-4029 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13013 |
container_title |
Journal of Forensic Sciences |
container_volume |
61 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
743 |
op_container_end_page |
751 |
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1802638533478842368 |