Seventeen measuring parameters were used to characterize 197 mandibles (109 males, 88 females) taken from the corpses of people 20-80 years of age from the Rhine-Main-Neckar area. The representative measuring parameters and discriminating functions of intact lower jaws and lower jaw fragments of most frequent fracture types were determined in this practice group by means of discriminating analysis. In the present research material it was possible to determine sex accurately from an intact lower jaw bone in 82.6% (m) and 79.5% (f) of the cases. Furthermore, our results show clearly that sex may even be determined from lower jaw fragments. The classification was correct, depending on the type of fragment, in 72.5%-81.7% (m) and 71.6%-79.5% (f) of the cases.