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Nonmetric Racing of the Skull in Blacks and Whites
Nicole Truesdell
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Nonmetric Racing of the Skull in Blacks and Whites Abstract Researchers
in anthropology have used various nonmetric traits from the midface,
braincase, dentition, and mandibular region (Rhine, 1990) as a nonmetric
means of identifying race from remains. This study utilized 7 nonmetric
traits and tested them on three groups in an attempt to trace the evolution
of admixture in Black populations. Focus was placed on the facial region
because it has been shown to be the most productive region for race
attribution (Brues, 1990; Rhine, 1990). The results of the study showed
that admixture can be detected in later Black populations as they tend
to exhibit more heterogeneous traits while White populations are more
homogenous. Accuracy was higher in identifying Blacks in early populations
with 100% then in later populations at only 90% while in Whites accuracy
was higher at later populations with 94.4% then in early populations
with 50%.
Biological
difference between populations have been identified by nonmetric criteria
in the cranium, as the skull has been shown to be the best indicator
of race (Brues, 1990) This study looks at the Terry Collection, Colonial Sites, and African material in an attempt to trace the presence of admixture in Blacks through 7 nonmetric traits.
324 skulls were utilized in this study from the Robert J. Terry 20th Century Anatomical Collection, Late 19th century West African and Caribbean Material, and 4 late 18th-early 19th Century American Colonial Sites. All are located at the Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History Methods 7 nonmetric traits were selected to used for this investigation: 6 from the midface and one from the braincase. The Terry Collection was studied first as the test case for the traits selected, then the Colonial material, and finally the West African and Caribbean material. Each cranium was given a score for each trait and then a predicated race was made. The
predicted race was then compared to the actual race.
For the American Black sample, orbital shape was oblong with the nasal bridge being wide for 50% of the population; the cranial form was long for 65% of the population and the nasal spine was small for 46% with 84% of the population having dull or no nasal sill. Alveolar prognathism was not seen in a high number of the Black population with only 32.5% having pronounced prognathism and 38.6% having only slight prognathism. Total Nasal Form was also not as expected with only 44% of the Black population having a broad nasal form. Terry Whites exhibited no alveolar prognathism with rhomboid eyes and a narrow nasal bridge. Cranial form is high with a large nasal spine and nasal sill leaving the total nasal form to be narrow. It can also be noted that Whites tended to exhibit a much more prominent chin than Blacks and greater brow ridging in the medial orbital region than Blacks due to the pinched nasal bridge. The Colonial Period material yielded higher frequencies in the Black population for alveolar prognathism, the wide nasal bridge, long cranial form, insipient nasal spine, lack of nasal sill, and total nasal form in the Black population. As such, this group shows more “typical” Negroid features than the Terry Collection group. The
African and Caribbean material overall gave typical Negroid results
as was expected. Alveolar prognathism was present along with the wide
nasal bridge, long cranial form, small to absent nasal spine, absent
to dull nasal sill, and a broad nasal form. Orbital shape was not as
distinct with oblong and rhomboid being very close in number Table
1.
The results from this study indicate the reliability of non-metric analysis and provides evidence that these non-metric traits do reflect and confirm the presence of admixture in Black populations in the United States. The traits used in this study proved to be fairly accurate in making an assessment of race from whole to fragmentary skulls. Only orbital shape tended not to be as accurate as was expected. This may have been due in part that it was difficult to make the distinction between oblong and rhomboid features, especially in the reconstructed skulls. Even in complete in complete anatomical crania, eye shape could not fully be defined and used consistently enough to warrant the trait very reliable. Terry Blacks were more heterogeneous while Terry Whites were more homogenous. This heterogeneity in Blacks can clearly be seen in the frequency data from the West African through the Colonial period up to the Terry Collection.
In
today’s society, race is as much a part of someone’s identity
as their sex and age (Gill, 1986). As such, being able to identify that
aspect of an individual from their remains is essential to both forensic
anthropologists and osteologists. Along
with the skeletal analysis, historical analysis must be done in order
to understand the secular changes that occurred in the US since Colonial
times. This will allow for a more complete picture on the subject.
I would like to thank Dr. David Hunt for advising and guiding me though this research. This was my first personal research experience and he helped me out tremendously. I would also like to thank Dr. Stephen Ousley for helping me handle the nonmetric statistics and Kate Spradley for allowing me to compare my nonmetric data to her metric analysis. Lastly I would like to thank Maia Truesdale and Suzanne II for being there for me through this process. Finally I would like to thank the Minority Internship Program at the Smithsonian Institution for this internship.
Brues, Alice. 1990. The Once and Future Diagnosis of Race. In George W. Gill and Stanley Rhine (ed.) Skeletal Attribution of Race. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque Gill, George G. 1986. Craniofacial Criteria in Forensic Race Identification. In Kathleen Reichs ed. Forensic Osteology. Advances in the Identification of Human Remains. Charles C. Thomas: Springfield Rhine, Stanley. 1990. Non Metric Skull Racing. In George W. Gill and Stanley Rhine (ed.) Skeletal Attribution of Race. Maxwell Museum of Anthropology: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Want to ask a question? Visit the Message Board Virtual
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