BACKGROUND:Digit ratio is basical y determined within the first 3 months of fetal development. Digit and digit ratio exhibit differences between genders and between left and right hands. Nationality, regional and ethnic difference may also influence the digit ratio. So far, there is no report about the digit ratio of Kazakh adults. OBJECTIVE:To study the characteristics of digit ratio of young Kazakh nationality in Xinjiang of China. METHODS:A total of 200 young Kazakh volunteers in Xinjiang, aged 18-25 years, were enrol ed, including 100 males and 100 females. These participants were subjected to posteroanterior X-ray of both hands. Phalanx length and body height were measured, and the resulting data were statistical y analyzed using SPSS19.0 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The digit ratio of Xinjiang Kazakh people was 3D>4D>2D>5D. Male digit ratio possessed the tendency of 3D:5D>4D:5D>2D:5D>3D:4D>3D:4D>2D:3D>2D:4D;female digit ratio possessed the tendency of 3D:5D>2D:5D>3D:4D>4D:5D>2D:4D>2D:3D. The digit ratio of 2D:3D, 3D:4D, 4D:5D was higher in the male than the female;the digit ratio of 2D:4D, 2D:5D, 3D:5D was higher in the female than the male. Digit ratio had sexual differences, especial y in 3D:5D (P<0.05), and had bilateral differences, especial y in 2D:4D and 4D:5D (P<0.05). These findings indicate that the digit ratio of Xinjiang Kazakh people exhibits a bilateral difference, especial y in 2D:4D and 4D:5D, as wel as a sexual difference, especial y in 3D:5D .

Objective To study the sex difference and discriminating formulas by measuring both metacarpal bones on X-ray and body height of Kazakh nationality adults,providing anatomical data for physical anthropology and forensic medicine. Methods The metacarpal bones length on X-ray films and body height from 200 adults of Kazakh nationality,including 100 male and 100 females were measured. The obtained date were statistically dealt by SPSS15.0 software. Results The length of the 4th metacarpal bone in male and the 5th in female were statistical significance beside, 4 discriminating formulas were obtained as follows: Y＝2.824r_1+2.563r_4-0.654r_5+0.614l7-0.039l_9+2.452l_(10)-212.186,Y＝2.350r_1+2.377r_4-0.995r_5+0.445l_7+0.046l_9+2.966l_(10)-191.622,Y＝0.393h_1+3.152r_1+0.435r_5+1.250r_(10)-463.734,Y＝0.362h_1+2.785r_1+0.028r_5+1.834 r_(10)-404.748, the accuracy being 89.67%、86.55%、90.00% and 87.50%. Conclusion The data presented in this paper indicates that the body height of male and female kazakh minority is closely related with the enlargement of their metacarpal bones.