Skeletal Remains: Determining Sex
1. Determine the sex of a pelvis with heart shaped pelvic inlet and a V-shaped subpubic
angle. What leads you to think this?
2. Determine the sex of a small skull with large browridges , a pelvis with a circular pelvic inlet and
a short broad sacrum. What leads you to think this?
3. Determine the sex of a skull with, a narrow mandible, a pointed chin, and a pelvis with a Ushaped sub-pubic angle. What leads you to think this?
4. A shallow grave is found at the Santa Fe Dam, a set of long thick femurs are found along with
two pelvic bones. One pelvic bone (Pelvis A) is rectangular in shape and has a long narrow
sacrum. The second pelvic bone (Pelvis B) is broad and square shaped with a short broad
sacrum.
a. Identify the sex pelvis A. What leads you to think this?
b. Identify the sex of pelvis B. What leads you to think this?
c. Determine which pelvis the set of femurs belongs to. Explain your reasoning.
5. A shallow grave is found in Morgan Park, a large rouged skull with an inion hook and large
browridges is found along with a small pelvis and numerous other bones. The pelvis has a Ushaped subpubic angle, a circular pelvic inlet and a short broad sacrum.
a. Determine the sex of the pelvic bone. What leads you to think this?
b. Determine the sex of the skull. What leads you to think this?
c. Would it be possible to find a male skull buried in the same grave as a female pelvis?
Why or why not?
6. Your best friend tells you that the skull she found buried in her backyard is the skull of a
deceased male. The skull had small brow ridges, a rounded forehead, an inion hook and a
pointed chin. Is your best friend correct? Why or why not?