Question

bones: male or female?
objectives:
by the end of this activity, you will be able to:
determine if the remains of a skeleton belong to a male or female
procedure:
refer to the figures in the anthropology powerpoint to help you determine if the skeletal remains listed below belong to a male or female skeleton. complete the following questions:

case # 1
round eye orbits, subpubic angle of 103 degrees, rectangular - shaped pubis, smooth skull. explain your answer.

case # 2
pelvis narrow, protuberance on occipital bone, sloping forehead. explain your answer.

case # 3
the skull was found to be smooth with small brow ridges; would you expect to find a subpubic angle larger or smaller than 90 degrees? explain your answer.

case # 4
a long, narrow sacrum with triangular pubis; would you expect to find the subpubic angle larger or smaller than 90 degrees? explain your answer.

Explanation:

(Case #1):
To determine if the skeletal remains are male or female, we analyze the given traits:

• Round eye orbits: A female - typical feature (male eye orbits are more square/angled).
• Subpubic angle of 103°: Female subpubic angles are generally larger (often >90°), while male angles are smaller (often <90°).
• Rectangular - shaped pubis: A female - associated pubis shape (male pubis is more triangular).
• Smooth skull: Female skulls tend to have smoother bone surfaces (male skulls have more rugged features like prominent brow ridges).

These traits collectively indicate a female skeleton.

(Case #2):
Analyzing the traits:

• Narrow pelvis: Male pelvises are narrower (female pelvises are wider for childbirth).
• Protuberance on occipital bone: Male skulls often have more prominent bony protrusions (e.g., nuchal protuberance) for muscle attachment.
• Sloping forehead: A sloping forehead is more typical of male skulls (female foreheads are more vertical).

These features align with male skeletal characteristics.

(Case #3):

• Smooth skull with small brow ridges: These are female - typical skull features (male skulls have rougher surfaces and larger brow ridges).
• For subpubic angle: Female subpubic angles are generally larger than 90° (to accommodate childbirth), while male angles are smaller. Since the skull suggests a female, we expect a subpubic angle larger than 90°.

(Case #4):

• Long, narrow sacrum and triangular pubis: These are male - typical pelvic features (female sacrum is shorter/broader, and pubis is rectangular).
• For subpubic angle: Male subpubic angles are generally smaller than 90° (female angles are larger). Since the pelvic traits suggest a male, we expect a subpubic angle smaller than 90°.

Answer:

(Case #1):
Female. The round eye orbits, large subpubic angle (103°), rectangular pubis, and smooth skull are all characteristic of a female skeleton.