Gender Determination Using Index and Ring Finger Linear Measurements in North Indian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study explores using finger length ratios to determine gender in a North Indian population, offering a new method for human identification in forensic and archaeological contexts.

Contribution

The study introduces finger length ratios as a novel, non-invasive method for gender determination in fragmentary human remains.

Findings

Women had significantly longer index-to-ring finger length ratios than men (p<0.001).

Threshold values for gender determination were established for both right and left hands.

The method provides a useful tool for bio-archaeological and forensic investigations.

Abstract

Background: In the fields of medico-legal matters and bio-archaeological settings, gender evaluation plays a pivotal role in the initial stages of human identification. Approximately half of the population at risk is excluded when gender is determined, making it the most essential factor for identification. When it comes to medico-legal matters and bio-archaeological settings, gender evaluation is a crucial initial step in human identification. Traditional gender determination procedures, such as skull and pelvic analysis, may be hindered by fragmentary human remains that have been degraded by various forms of inhumation or physical assaults.

Aim: To investigate sexual dimorphism, this study examined the ratio of index finger length to ring finger length.

Materials and method: The lengths of the index and ring fingers were measured and the ratios between them were calculated for both hands separately. Applications of IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 16.0 (Released 2007; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States) included Student's t-test and Levene's test.

Results: According to the study, women's index finger-to-ring finger length ratios were much longer than men's. The ratio of index finger to ring finger length was significantly different between the sexes on both sides of the hand (p<0.001). In terms of the right hand, the threshold value was 0.9666 for men and 0.9952 for females, while in terms of the left hand, the values were 0.9638 and 0.9920, respectively.

Conclusion: With an advancing front in this arena on gender determination, the use of digits has become an additional source of support to physical anthropologists for bio-archaeological surveys and to forensic experts for use in medico-legal investigations for fragmentary remains received during investigatory trials.

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