Question

What are three ways to tell if a skull is female?

Answer 1

Female skulls can be identified by examining facial features, size and shape, and the pelvis.

Step-by-step explanation:

There are several ways to determine if a skull is female:

1. The presence of certain facial features, such as a smaller and less pronounced brow ridge and a rounder and more delicate face.
2. The size and shape of the skull, with female skulls generally being smaller and more gracile than male skulls.
3. Examination of the pelvis, which can provide indirect clues about the sex of the skull as the female pelvis is adapted for childbirth.

A female skull typically has a more vertical forehead, while a male skull might be more sloping. The eye orbits on a female skull are usually rounder, and the upper edges are often sharper than those of a male skull, which are more square and blunt. Lastly, the angle of the mandible (jawbone) is generally wider and more rounded in females compared to the more squared angle in males.