Nasal mophormetric pattern of the Abakaliki ethnic group of South Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

The nose is an important feature of the face involved in the description of human morphology, identification of individuals and classification of races and sex. The aim of this study is to document the nasal morphometric values of Igbo people of South-Eastern Nigeria resident in Abakaliki Area of Ebonyi State. The subjects cover a selection of 669 males and 331 females between 12 and 45 years of age. The nasal length and nasal breadth were measured directly with a pair of metal spreading calipers and a steel tape from each subject following internationally recommended standard methods and techniques. Nasal indices were then calculated. The result shows the values of the nasal length and nasal breadth as 5.54cm and 3.87cm respectively and Nasal Index, 70.37 (mesorrhine). There was sexual dimorphism with male values statistically higher than female values. This could be useful in forensic investigation as well as in plastic and reconstructive surgery of the nose.

Keywords: Nasal Length, Breadth, Morphormetric, Index, Sexual dimorphism, Abakaliki People.