Lab 5 Assignment: Sex Estimation in the Human Skeleton

This lab report is regarding the Anthropology. The detail of instruction and grading rubric are in the attachment, please read the attachment carefully and use the data of I have gathered and recorded in part A and finish the lab report in part B. The useful textbook for this lab report is "Jurmain, Robert, Lynn Kilgore, Wenda Trevathan, Eric J. Bartelink (2016) Essentials of Physical Anthropology, 10th edition, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. "

Lab 5: Sex Estimation in the Human Skeleton

For the lab, use the criteria below to determine the sex of the skeletal remains provided in your lab. 

You will collect and record data as a group. Do discuss your findings with the group in the remaining lab time. However, you must submit an individual and independent report!

Human osteology, or the study of human skeletal remains, can be applied to a number of fields within biological anthropology, including human paleontology, paleopathology, bioarchaeology, and forensic anthropology. Demographic variables such as sex and age are extremely important components of the basic biological profile discussed in lecture. In this lab, you will learn to identify characteristics that aid in estimating sex in the human skeleton. Keep in mind, that overall size does not necessarily indicate the sex of an individual (note the variation that exists in height and robusticity among males and females in class).

Here are some skeletal directional terms to know:

            - medial (toward the midline)

            - lateral (away from the midline

            - ventral (belly)

            - dorsal (back)

            - anterior (front)

            - posterior (back)

Male skull:

Mastoid process is larger

Nuchal crest is present

Frontal bone slants backward

Supraorbital ridges/torus is larger

Supraorbital rim is more blunt

Chin is more squared, mental eminence more pronounced

Ascending ramus is thicker, at right angle

Mandible flares at the angle with the ascending ramus

Female skull:

Mastoid process is smaller

Nuchal crest is small or absent

Frontal bone is more globular

Supraorbital ridges/torus is smaller

Supraorbital rim/border is sharper

Chin more pointed/ mental eminence less pronounced

Ascending ramus is at obtuse angle

Mandible flares less at the angle with the ascending ramus

Male pelvis:

Subpubic angle is less than 90^o

Subpubic concavity rare

No ventral arc

Narrow sciatic notch

Obturator foramen is oval

Sacrum is curved, narrow

Preauricular sulcus absent

Female pelvis:

Subpubic angle greater than 90^o

Subpubic concavity present

Ventral arc present

Wide sciatic notch

Obturator foramen is triangular

Sacrum is straighter, wide

Preauricular sulcus is present