Pre-Auricular Sulcus
Definition
A groove anterior to the auricular surface of the ilium, associated with parturition stress at the sacroiliac joint. Present in 58-70 per cent of females; asymmetric diagnostic value (presence = female evidence; absence = uninformative).
- Location
- Anterior to the auricular surface of the ilium
- Associated cause
- Parturition stress at the sacroiliac joint
- Prevalence in females
- 58 to 70 per cent
- Diagnostic pattern
- Presence indicates female; absence is uninformative
Common questions
Why is the pre-auricular sulcus considered an asymmetric indicator?+
Because it forms in a majority of females who have given birth but can also appear in some nulliparous women and occasionally in males, its presence carries useful evidential weight toward a female estimate, while its absence cannot be used to argue for a male estimate.
How is the pre-auricular sulcus used alongside other pelvic traits?+
It is combined with other sex indicators such as the sciatic notch and sub-pubic angle rather than relied on alone, since a multi-trait approach on the pelvis produces a more reliable sex estimate than any single feature scored in isolation.
Related terms
- Greater Sciatic Notch
- The posterior notch on the ilium between the posterior inferior iliac spine and the ischial spine. Narrow and V-shaped in males; wide...
- Klales 2012 Revision
- An ordinal revision of the Phenice method by Ashley Klales using a 1-5 scale for each trait and a logistic regression to...
- Obstetric Trade-Off
- The evolutionary conflict in humans between the biomechanical benefit of a narrow pelvis for efficient bipedal locomotion and the obstetric requirement for...
- Phenice Method
- A non-metric morphological sex estimation technique published by Thomas Phenice in 1969, based on scoring three traits of the pubic bone: the...
- Subpubic Angle
- The angle at the inferior apex of the pubic arch where the two inferior pubic rami meet. Acute (below 90 degrees) in...
- Subpubic Concavity
- A medial inward curve on the inferior aspect of the ischiopubic ramus in females, resulting from the wider sub-pubic space. Absent (straight...
- Terry Collection
- A documented skeletal collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (Washington DC), assembled from cadavers donated to Washington University's anatomy...
- Ventral Arc
- An elevated ridge on the anterior (ventral) surface of the pubic bone, curving from the pubic symphysis toward the ischiopubic ramus. Present...
- Walker 2005 Scale
- A five-point ordinal scoring system for the greater sciatic notch published by Philip Walker, ranging from 1 (very narrow, most male) to...