Anthropometric Analysis of Craniofacial Indices in Students of Yoruba Lineage: Implications for Clinical Medicine, Forensic Anthropology, and Ethnic Diversity

Population-specific facial anthropometry is essential for cultural esteem, preservation of ethnicity, and advances in reconstructive medicine. This study focuses on craniofacial indices in students of Yoruba lineage. Using a questionnaire, biodata were collected from 2109 participants, aged 18 to 29 years, who were of Yoruba lineage and were without facial abnormalities. Amkov 3.0 Super AMOLED 24 Mega Pixel Digital Camera facilitated photography, and Digitalize image analysis software streamlined measurement and index analyses. Generated Data, including facial index (FI), nasal index (NI), canthal index (CI), and ear index (EI), were statistically analyzed using SPSS software version 21.0. FI findings revealed a prevalence of hyperleptoproscopic faces among males (98.0%) and females (97.9%). Males showed a higher mean FI than females, indicating sexual dimorphism and the influence of gender on facial morphology. According to the NI data, males (50.5%) and females (52.2%) had hyperplatin as the most common nose type. In NI, there was an evident sexual dimorphism, with males displaying higher mean values than females. Close eyes were shown to be the dominant form for both genders based on the CI values, with higher mean values in men also indicating sexual dimorphism. The EI results showed large ears were the most common, with sexual and age-specificity in mean values. The data presented here sheds considerable light on the craniofacial features of the Yoruba people, demonstrating how age and gender significantly influence facial dimensions. This research finds relevance in reconstructive medicine, forensic anthropology, and ethnic diversity studies.

Key Words: craniofacial indices, Yoruba population, sexual dimorphism, ethnic variations, normative data