For sex determination from an adult skull alone, excluding the pelvis, which feature carries the HIGHEST discriminating accuracy?

• A Supraorbital ridge prominence
• B Glabella projection
• C Mastoid process size ✓
• D Shape of the orbital margin

Explanation

Studies scoring skull traits individually find the mastoid process the most reliable single cranial indicator, being large, broad, and blunt in males and small, slender, and pointed in females. Supraorbital ridges, glabella, occipital protuberance, and palatal size are useful but individually weaker and more variable. Orbital margin shape is a soft secondary trait with poor discrimination. Overall accuracy from the whole skull reaches about 80 to 90 percent, but the mastoid contributes the strongest single weight in scoring systems such as those of Giles and Elliot.

Reference: Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, R.K. Saxena, 1st ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.