How do scientists determine whether skeletal remains are male or female?
The science of criminal investigation is an ever improving field; the ability of scientists today to discover so much from so little is impressive. Today’s modern day methods and equipment can be very effective in determining many things about bones.SkullLooking at a human skull, a scientist would expect to find finer, more delicate features on a female skull than that of a male. According to ExploreForensics, the forehead of the skull will be flatter and more slanted than in females.PelvisExamining the pelvic bones, a scientist would expect to find the area wider and more shallow in female skeletons. This is an adaptation of child birth and can be a strong indicator of sex.Bone Density and SizeTaking the skeleton as a whole it would be expected that male bones would be larger and more dense than female ones.Probabiltiy of a sex matchAlthough these differences are very good indicators of a skeleton’s sex, they are not definitive. However, from these methods, scientists can estimate wit