Sexual Dimorphism Flashcards
What can we get from sex estimation
Helps to identify people by limiting the potential pool, can help police
Limitations of sex estimation
Harder in adults, can only see M/F not gender or the people in the middle, sexual dimorphism not as big in humans, always population specific
What bones are best to use for sex estimation
Pelvis and skull
What are the parts of the pelvis
Illium, Issue and the pubis, os coxon and sacrum
How do we tell the internal surface from the external surface
Internal is smooth for the organs
What parts of the pelvis do we use for sex estimation
The pubis - ventral arch, sub-pubic concavity and pubis ridge
Sciatic notch
Pre-auricular sulcus (empty space under the auricular surface)
Which methods can we use for the pelvis
Phenice - Presence of absence of features in the pubis
Klales - Revised phenice method
Bruzek - sciatic notch
In the pubis briefly describe the features which show sexual dimorphism
Size and shape - F as tall as it is wide, square, M taller than it is wide, triangular
Ventral arch - big arch produces another piece of bone
Sub pubic concavity - angle of the pubic ramus
Pubic ramus ridge - F looks pinched
In the pelvis, other than the pubis what else can we use for sex estimation
F is overall wider, looks circle in superior view whereas male looks triangular
Sciatic notch - F large and wide and look more symmetrical
How useful is using skull for sex estimation
The skull is affected by size of the person so this can be misleading, brain is as big as it gets by 10, not easy to do on children as changes happen at puberty, must understand population differences to sex the skull
What parts of the skull do we look at for sex estimation
Nuchal crest, mastoid process, supra-orbital margin, glabella and mental eminence
Are metric approaches useful
cranial measurements are often used but need to also use other bones for the method to work
Which methods do we use to sex the skull
Buikstra and Ubelaker 1 = F and 5 = M, basically big and robust = M
