Anthropometry

Meghan Hunt
Erskine College
Dead Men Do Tell Tales
J-Term 2006
What is Anthropometry?
 Greek
 Anthro- : man
 -pometry: measurements
 Literal meaning: “measurement of humans”

 The study of measurements or proportions of

the human body according to sex, age, etc.
for identification purposes
 Dimensions of bones, muscles, and adipose
(fat) tissues
History of Anthropometry
 1883- Alphonse Bertillon: system of
identification depending on the unchanging
character of certain measurements of parts of
the human body
 1884: 241 multiple offenders were identified
 “Bertillonage”- first adapted by the French
police
 1887: introduced in the United States by
Major McClaughry, the translator of Bertillon's
book, when he was the warden of the Illinois
State Penitentiary at Joliet.
History of Anthropometry
 1888: Francis Galton starts research on
“Finger Prints” to further anthropometry
 1892: Francis Galton publishes Finger Prints
 1894: England adopted the system.
 1903: Will West & William West
Galton’s Discovery because of
Anthropometry?
“My attention was first drawn to the ridges in 1888 when preparing
a lecture on Personal Identification for the Royal Institution, which had
for its principal object an account of the anthropometric method of
Bertillon, then newly introduced into the prison administration of France.
Wishing to treat the subject generally, and having a vague knowledge
of the value sometimes assigned to finger marks, I made inquiries, and
was surprised to find, both how much had been done, and how much
there remained to do, before establishing their theoretical value and
practical utility.
Enough was then seen to show that the subject was of real
importance, and I resolved to investigate it; all the more so, as the
modern processes of photographic printing would enable the evidence
of such results as might be arrived at, to be presented to the reader on
an enlarged and easily legible form, and in a trustworthy shape. Those
that are put forward in the following pages, admit of considerable
extension and improvement, and it is only the fact that an account of
them seems useful, which causes me to delay no further before
submitting what has thus far been attained, to the criticism of others.”

Excerpt from Galton’s Finger Prints

Applications of Anthropometry
 Identification of repeated criminals
 Cesare Lombroso's Criminal Anthropology (1895):
“murderers have prominent jaws and pickpockets have long
hands and scanty beards”.
 Eugene Vidocq: identification of criminals by facial
characteristics
 Prevention of impersonation
 Differentiation between the races
 Eugenics in Europe
 Aryans from Jews: The Bureau for Enlightenment on Population
Policy and Racial Welfare recommended the classification of
Aryans and non-Aryans on the basis of measurements of the
skull and other physical features, “craniometric” certification,
required by law. The consequences for not meeting
requirements included denial of permission to marry or work,
and for many it meant the death camps
 Intelligence tests became associated with Anthropometry
Debate over Anthropometry
 General Problems with Anthropometry:
 Cost and error of the instruments used
 Education needed to be able to take the
measurements
 Error in calculation and measurements
 slow
 Will West Case
Body Identification using
Anthropometry
 Bertillon used 5 basic measurements:
 head length
 head breadth
 length of middle finger
 Length of left foot
 length from the elbow to the extremity of the middle finger
 Today that list is more extensive:
 Gender
 Height
 Weight
 Age
 Bicep circumference, buttock depth, chest breadth, elbow
circumference, eye height, forearm to hand, ear breadth, head
circumference, head length, hip breadth sitting, hip breadth standing,
sitting height, waist depth, wrist breadth, wrist circumference to
name a few…there are currently 107 measurements
 Anthropometric Measuring Tools
Anthropometer
Tape

Medical scale
Sliding Calipers: large
and small

Spreading Caliper
Anthropometric Measuring
Techniques
 Weight
 Stature
 Posture:
 Standing
 Frankfort
 Sitting
 Arm Span
 Head Length
 Head Breadth
 Ear-to-Head Height
 Nasal Length
 Nasal Breadth
 Skeletal Index = Sitting Height x 100/Stature
 Cephalic Index = Head Breadth x 100/Head Length
 Nasal Index = Nasal Breadth x 100/Nasal Length
 Span/Stature Index = Arm Span x 100/ Stature
 Cranial Capacity
Anthropometric Measuring
Techniques
Basic Chart of What is
Measured
Basic Areas of Where
to Measure
 Basic Anthropometric Measuring
Examples
Anthropometric Measurements

80

70

60 Male 1
Male 2
Male 3
50
Male 4
Measurement (in cm)

Male 5
Male 6
40
Female 1
Female 2

30 Female 3
Female 4
Female 5
20 Female 6

10

0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Category
Basic Anthropometric Measuring
Examples
Anthropometric Measurements (cont.)

200

175

Male 1
Male 2
150 Male 3
Male 4
Measurements (in cm)

Male 5
Male 6
125
Female 1
Female 2
Female 3

100 Female 4
Female 5
Female 6

75

50
21 22 23
Category
Anthropometry Today
 Biometrics
 Nutrition and wellness
 Weight Training
 Ergonomics
 dynamic anthropometry: Measurements taken on and
around the figure when it is in any position other than
the fixed ones.
 Everyday life
 Evolutionary Significance
 Changes in humans overtime
 Monitor growth in children
 Cranial Anthropometry
Biometrics
 the automatic identification of a person based
on his/her physiological or behavioral
characteristics
 Verification vs. identification
 Verification: Am I whom I claim I am? involves
confirming or denying a person's claimed
identity
 Identification: Who am I?
Biometrics Applications
 Forensics: criminal identification and prison
security
 Prevention of unauthorized access to ATMs,
cellular phones, smart cards, desktop PCs,
workstations, and computer networks
 Automobiles: replace keys with key-less entry
and key-less ignition
 Border control and national ID cards
Biometrics Programs
 Fingerprint Identification
 Hand Geometry: geometric shape of the hand
for authenticating a user's identity
 Face Location: an arbitrary black and white,
still image, find the location and size of every
human face
 Multibiometrics: integrates face recognition,
fingerprint verification, and speaker
verification in making a personal identification
 Biometrics in Use

Heathrow Airport- Iris

BenGurion Airport: FacePass: Face
Hand Geometry Verification

Grocery Store Payment:

Fingerprint US- Visit Program
INSPASS: Hand
Geometry
Cranial Anthropometry
 Also known as Craniometry
 measurement of the skull and face
 3 ways to categorize the skull
 dolichocephalic: long and thin
 brachycephalic: short and broad
 mesocephalic: intermediate length and
breadth
Cranial Anthropometry: 16 Facial
Zones
 en (endocanthion)  g (glabella)

 eu (eurion)  gn (gnathion)

 ex (exocanthion)  obi (otobasion inferius)

 ft (frontotemporale)  op (opisthocranion)

 fz (frontozygomaticus)  po (porion)
Cranial Anthropometry: 16 Facial
Zones (cont.)
 n (nasion)

 sn (subnasale)

 t (tragion)

 tr (trichion)

 v (vertex)

 zy (zygion)
Cranial Anthropometry Facial Zones
Maximal cranial
breadth

Maximal cranial
length
3- D Anthropometry
 3D anthropometry, the measure of humans, can be greatly
aided by the use of accurate digital humans. We'll take a look
at how to create these types of accurate digital humans and
how they can be used for the measurement of entire
populations
 Programs:
 Cyberware
 DigiSize
 CySlice
 Ear Impression 3-D Scanner
 SizeUSA: 3D measurement system, a body scanner feeding
data into measurement extraction software.
 CAESAR: generate a database of human physical dimensions
for men and women of various weights, between the ages of 18
and 65
 Virtual Models: virtually try on clothes, makeup etc.
Future Endeavors of Anthropometry?
Questions?
This concludes the study
of Anthropometry.
Thank you for your
time!