Sexual dimorphism and sex estimation in the cuneiform bones from a Chilean modern osteological series

Abstract

In challenging forensic contexts, reconstructing the biological profile with insufficient evidence remains a significant endeavor to achieve human identification. In contemporary osteological series, foot bones are often protected by footwear that may preserve their integrity, providing an alternative for sexual dimorphism studies. Despite the interest in the largest tarsal bones, the midtarsal bones are seldom the focus. This study evaluates the three cuneiform bones from 167 adult individuals (100 males, 67 females) from the Colección Osteológica Subactual de Santiago de Chile using linear measurements. Sex estimation was performed using binary logistic regression models for each bone separately and combined. Results indicated that males display larger dimensions than females, but with lower classification by overlap of small samples. The medial cuneiform achieved the highest accuracy (80%) utilizing two variables, followed by the lateral cuneiform (72.5%), and the intermediate cuneiform with 60%. The pronounced dimensions of the medial cuneiform, whose sexual differences are better expressed in size, could explain the difference in the correct classification between these bones. This research highlights local biological variability through a low-cost, replicable approach, providing population-specific data essential for contemporary forensic investigations when classic tools are unavailable.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Scientific Reports, 2026 · DOI ↗