Chapter 8. Attribution of Sex.
TRUE/FALSE. Write "T" if the statement is true and "F" if it is false
1. The pelvis is not as good as the skull for attributing sex to a skeleton.
Answer: False p. 151
2. A heart-shaped pelvic inlet is indicative of a male.
Answer: True p. 152, 153
3. A wide subpubic angle is indicative of a male.
Answer: False p. 153
4. If the sciatic notch of an os coxa has barely enough room to place your thumb, the individual was probably male.
Answer: True p. 153, 154
5. The preauricular sulcus is well developed in males.
Answer: False p. 154, 155
6. A short and wide sacrum is indicative of a female pelvis.
Answer: True p. 155
7. The traits identified by T. W. Phenice for sexing the pelvis are not part of the classic traits of this structure.
Answer: True p. 155
8. All of the other classic traits of the pelvis vary in a manner similar to that of the greater sciatic notch.
Answer: True p. 157
9. The ischium-pubic index is just one of several metric methods for attributing sex to the pelvis.
Answer: True p. 158 – 159
10. The skull is the second best structure of the human skeleton for attributing sex.
Answer: True p. 159
11. A skull is found with large mastoid processes and browridges as well as a broad chin and rounded supraorbital margin. Based on this information, the skull is most likely female.
Answer: False p. 159 – 163
12. The characteristics of the skull that can be used to attribute sex vary to a considerable degree.
Answer: True p. 159 - 162
13. According to the logistic discriminant functions of Philip Walker, a function value less than zero (0) is more likely male.
Answer: True p. 163
14. The length of the mastoid process is not useful for attributing sex in discriminant functions.
Answer: False p. 164
15. The Giles and Elliot calculated different discriminant functions for attributing sex for various ancestral groups.
Answer: True p. 165
16. The accuracy of the Giles and Elliot formulas for attributing sex are over 90%.
Answer: False p. 166 – 167
17. Postcranial bones cannot be used to attribute sex.
Answer: False p. 167
18. If a scapula is found with a height of 13 cm and a glenoid cavity height of 32 mm, there is a good probability that it is male.
Answer: False p. 167 - 168
19. The head of the radius of males is generally larger than those of females.
Answer: True p. 168
20. If a femur is found with an epicondylar (knee) breadth of 55, a maximum head diameter of 30, there is a good probability that it is male.
Answer: False p. 169 – 170
21. Anthropologists can sex subadults with as much confidence as adults.
Answer: False p. 169
22. The accuracy of most methods for sexing subadults is around 70%.
Answer: True p. 169
23. Most studies for attributing sex to subadults have concentrated on the pelvis.
Answer: True p. 170 – 171
24. The elevation of the auricular surface and width of the sciatic notch have limited value in attributing sex to subadult pelvises.
Answer: True p. 170 – 171
25. It is possible in the future that subadults will be able to be sexed as accurately as adults.
Answer: True p. 172
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
26. Which one of the following osteological elements are useful in attributing sex?
A Pelvis
B Skull
C Postcranial bones
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 151
27. Which one of the following osteological characteristics of the pelvis are useful in attributing sex?
A Preauricular sulcus
B Sciatic notch
C Sub-pubic angle
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 153
28. Which one of the following would suggest to you that a pelvis you found in a shallow grave could have belonged to a male?
A Presence of a preauricular sulcus
B Wide sciatic notch
C Ventral arc
D Long, narrow sacrum
Answer: D p. 153, 155
29. Which one of the following is not one of Phenice’s characteristics useful for attributing sex to the pelvis?
A Preauricular sulcus
B Ventral arc
C Subpubic concavity
D Medial aspect of the ischiopubic ramus
Answer: A p. 155
30. Which one of the following would strongly suggest to you that a pelvis you found in a shallow grave could have belonged to a female?
A Presence of a preauricular sulcus
B Wide sciatic notch
C Ventral arc
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 153, 155
31. Which one of the following would suggest to you that a pelvis you found could have belonged to a female?
A Presence of a preauricular sulcus
B Narrow sciatic notch
C V-shaped subpubic angle
D All of the above
Answer: A p. 153, 155
32. Which one of the following would suggest to you that a pelvis you found could have belonged to a male?
A Presence of a preauricular sulcus
B Narrow sciatic notch
C U-shaped subpubic angle
D All of the above
Answer: B p. 153, 155
33. Which one of the following would strongly suggest to you that a pelvis you found could have belonged to a female?
A Presence of a preauricular sulcus
B Ischium-pubic index of 90%
C U-shaped subpubic angle
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 153 – 158
34. Which one of the following would strongly suggest to you that a pelvis you found could have belonged to a male?
A Presence of a preauricular sulcus
B Ischium-pubic index of 80%
C U-shaped subpubic angle
D All of the above
Answer: B p. 153 – 158
35. Which of the following is not consistent with the crania of a male?
A Prominent browridges
B Large mastoid processes
C Sharp supraorbital margin
D Square mental eminence (chin)
Answer: C p. 159 – 162
36. Which of the following is consistent with the crania of a male?
A Prominent browridges
B Large mastoid processes
C Square mental eminence (chin)
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 159 – 162
37. Which of the following is not consistent with the crania of a female?
A Prominent browridges
B Small mastoid processes
C Square mental eminence (chin)
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 159 – 162
38. Which of the following is consistent with the crania of a female?
A Small browridges
B Small mastoid processes
C Small mental eminence (chin)
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 159 – 163
39. Which of the following logistic discriminant function values is indicative of a male?
A 2.987
B 1.001
C -.0321
D All of the above
Answer: C p. 163
40. Which of the following measurements is not entered into discriminant functions used to attribute sex?
A Maximum length of the skull
B Maximum breadth of the skull
C Maximum width across the zygomatic arches
D Maximum width of the lower jaw
Answer: D p. 164
41. Which of the following measurements is not a straight distance between two points that is used in sex discriminant functions?
A Maximum length of the skull
B Maximum breadth of the skull
C Length of the mastoid process
D Maximum width of the palate
Answer: C p. 164 – 165
42. Which of the following ancestral groups cannot be attributed sex by discriminant functions?
A Whites
B Blacks
C Hispanics
D Asians
Answer: C p. 166 – 167
43. Which of the following measurements in sex discriminant functions is most difficult to perform?
A Maximum length of the skull
B Maximum breadth of the skull
C Length of the mastoid process
D Maximum width of the palate
Answer: C p. 164 – 165
44. Which of the following bones are not useful in attributing sex?
A Scapula
B Clavicle
C Humerus
D Radius
Answer: B p. 167 – 169
45. Which of the following bones has two measurements useful in attributing sex?
A Scapula
B Humerus
C Radius
D None of the above
Answer: A p. 167 – 169
46. Which of the following is consistent with the skeleton of a male?
A Head of the humerus below 40 mm
B Head of the femur of 50 mm
C Head of the radius of 13 mm
D All of the above
Answer: B p. 168 – 169
47. Which of the following is consistent with the skeleton of a female?
A Head of the humerus below 40 mm
B Head of the femur of 40 mm
C Head of the radius of 13 mm
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 168 – 169
48. Which of the following is consistent with the skeleton of a subadult female?
A Elevated auricular surface
B Shallow greater sciatic notch
C Both A and B
D Neither A or B
Answer: C p. 170 – 171
49. Which of the following is consistent with the skeleton of a subadult male?
A Elevated auricular surface
B Shallow greater sciatic notch
C Both A and B
D Neither A or B
Answer: D p. 170 – 171
50. Which of the following has been tried to be used to attribute sex to subadults?
A Difference between dental and skeletal age
B Measurements of deciduous teeth
C Eigenshape analysis of the ilia
D All of the above
Answer: D p. 171 – 172
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