Estimation of antemortem body weight from the talus

Abstract

Estimation of antemortem body weight is difficult to ascertain from skeletal material. In this analysis, I examine 49 right tali. T-tests run on right and left tali from the same sample show no significant differences between the two sides. Incorporation of data from various individuals, including both males and females, allows for the statistical assessment obtained through Pearson's correlation coefficient between estimated antemortem body weight and 21 measurements conducted on the surface of the talus. All correlations ranged from R = -.1706 to +.4811, suggesting no strong relationship between estimated antemortem body weight and variables utilized in this analysis. A multiple regression was applied and provided an adjusted R square of +.2150. This suggests the measurements incorporated into the statistical run only accounted for twenty-one percent of the total variance in estimated body weight. The surface anatomy of the talus relates more to an interplay between form and function than to weight-bearing.