This PowerPoint presentation contains a detailed description of how we can determine the age of an individual by their skeletal remains.

1. Determination of sex from skeletan
remains.
PALLAVI KUMARI
M.SC 3RD SEM
Pid no. - 19MSFS001
DEPARTMENT OF FORENSIC SCIENCE

2. Contents
Introduction
Skull
Pelvis
Sternum
references

3. Introduction
 Skeleton is an excellent material in living and non-living population
for genetic,anthropological,odontologic and forensic
examination.Skull and bone feature vary from male to female and
differentiation is usually based on the male features that are
typically more pronounced and marked than female features.
 The human skeleton consists of both fused and individual bone.
Fused bones include those of the pelvis and the cranium. At birth a
newborn baby has approximately 300 bones, whereas on average
an adult human has 206 bones. The difference comes from a
number of small bones that fuse together during growth, such as
the sacrum and coccyx of the vertebral column.

5. The determination of sex by examination of
skeleton is based up on the appearances of:
Pelvis (innominates + sacrum)
Skull (cranium + mandible)
Long bones (humerus + femur)
Sternum
Scapula
Metacarpal bones

6. Skull
 The skull is a bony structure which serves as the general framework
for the head. The skull supports the structures of the face and
protects the head against injury.
 Skull sub divided in to two parts:
 CRANIUM
 MANDIBLE

7. Skull
 The features that indicates sex are:
 General appearance
 Supra orbital ridges
 Orbits
 Glabella
 Zygomatic arches
 Mastoid processes
 External occipital protuberance
 Mandible
 palate

8. General appearance of skull
• Smaller
• More gracile
FEMALE
• Larger
• More rugged
MALE

9. Supra orbital ridges
This is the region directly above the orbit and nose, or the (brow ridge)
Less pronounced=female
More pronounced=male

10. Orbits
• square
• Roundish margins
MALE
• roundish
• Sharp margins
FEMALE

11. Glabella
• More pronounced
• Well marked
MALE
• Less pronounced
• Not well marked
FEMALE

12. Zygomatic arches
In females, the zygomatic arch is less pronounced and tends to not
extend posteriorly beyond the external auditory meatus.
In males, the zygomatic arch is more pronounced or robust, and tends
to extend posteriorly beyond the external auditory meatus.

13. Mastoid processes
• large
• More blunt
MALE
• small
• More pointed
FEMALE

14. External occipital protuberance
• More prominent
• Sometimes hook shaped
MALE
• Less prominent
• Blunt shaped
FEMALE

15. Mandible
The mandible together with the
maxilla, the largest and strongest
bone of the face. It forms the
lower jaw and holds the lower
teeth in place.
The male mandible tends to
have a (square) shaped.
The female mandible tends to
have a (pointed) chin

16. Palate
• Larger,wider
• broader
MALE
• smaller
• narrower
FEMALE

17. Pelvis
The pelvic gridle is the most sexually dimorphic region of the
skeleton and it can be used to determine sex with a high degree
of accuracy
. The sexual dimorphism of pelvis is primarily the results of
reproductive mechanism and is not readily apparent untill
adolescence
Pelvis bone representing the union of three bones
{ilium, ischium, pubis}

18. Pelvis
 Features that indicates sexes are as follows:
 Pelvis as whole
 Symphysis
 Sub-pubic angle
 Obturator foramen
 Acetablulum
 Greater sciatic notch
 Ischipubic rami
 sacro-iliac articulation
 Ilium
 Sacrum
 Pelvic brim

19. Pelvis as whole
Male- massive, rugged, marked muscular sites.
Female- less massive, gracile, smoother.

20. symphysis
•higher
•Depth is more
MALE
•lower
•Depth is less
FEMALE

21. Sub-pubic angle
Male- v-shaped, sharp angle
Female- u-shaped, rounded, broader,
divergent, obtuse angle.

22. Obturator foramen
large
Often
ovoid
MALE
small
triangular
FEMAL

23. Acetablulum
Large, tends to be
directed laterally.
Small, tends to
be directed
antero-laterally.

24. Greater sciatic notch
FEMALE MALE
Large, wider
shallower
Small, close,
deep

25. Ischipubic rami
Male- slightly everted
Female- strongly everted

26. Sacro-iliac articulation
Male- large
Female- small, oblique

27. ilium
Male- high, tends to be vertical
Female- lower, laterally divergent

28. Sacrum
FEMALE MALE
Male- longer, narrower with evenly distributed curvature.
Female- shorter, broader with tendency to curve.

29. Pelvic brim
Male- heart shaped
Female- circular or elliptical

30. Sternum
 The sternum is an elongated, flattened
bone, forming the middle portion of
the thorax. Its upper end supports the
clavicles and its margins articulate with
the cartilages of the first seven pairs of
ribs.
It consists of three parts, from above
downwards.
 Manubrium
 Body of sternum
 Xiphoid process

31. Sternum
Traits
Body
Level
manubrium
Male
The body of the sternum
is bigger and is at least
twice or more the length
of manubrium.
The upper border of the
sternum is usually at the
level of lower part of the
body of the 2nd thoracic
vertebrae.
Somewhat smaller.
Female
The body of the sternum
is shorter and is less
than twice the length of
the manubrium.
The upper border of the
sternum is usually at the
level of lower part of the
body of the 3rd thoracic
vertebrae.
Somewhat bigger.

32. THANK
YOU..