Forensic Anthropology: Sex and Age Determination from Skeleton

Sex and age determination from skeletal remains sits at the core of UGC-NET Forensic Science Paper II Unit X and is the backbone of every forensic anthropology practical. This mock drills the full toolkit: subpubic angle (male 50-60 degrees, female 80-85 degrees), greater sciatic notch width (narrow in males, wide in females), pelvic inlet shape, ischial spine projection, the Phenice (1969) three-trait method using ventral arc, subpubic concavity, and ischiopubic ramus ridge, and skull traits including glabella, mastoid process, supra-orbital ridge, occipital protuberance, and mandibular robusticity. For age, the set covers Gustafson (1950) six dental histological criteria (attrition, periodontosis, secondary dentin, cementum apposition, root resorption, root transparency), Demirjian (1973) radiographic tooth-development staging for children, the Suchey-Brooks six-phase pubic symphysis method, Iscan rib-end metamorphosis, epiphyseal fusion sequences at the clavicle and iliac crest, and cranial suture closure as a rough adult age bracket.

Indian-population calibration is integral to the mock. Krogman and Iscan's The Human Skeleton in Forensic Medicine (2nd edition) remains the foundational reference. Saxena (1984) and Pillai (1934) published India-specific pelvic metric standards that shift the cutoffs used for sex determination when applying population-specific regression equations in Indian casework. AIIMS Delhi forensic anthropology work and Bass's Human Osteology round out the applied references. Questions distinguish near-neighbour distractors: Phenice versus Suchey-Brooks, Gustafson versus Demirjian, subpubic angle degree ranges, and specific epiphyseal fusion ages at different skeletal sites.

Topics covered:

• Sex determination from pelvis: subpubic angle, sciatic notch, pelvic inlet
• Phenice (1969): ventral arc, subpubic concavity, ischiopubic ramus ridge
• Sex from skull: glabella, mastoid process, supra-orbital ridge, mandible
• Gustafson (1950): six dental histological criteria for adult age estimation
• Demirjian (1973): eight-tooth radiographic staging for children
• Suchey-Brooks: six-phase pubic symphysis age progression in adults
• Iscan rib-end method and epiphyseal fusion sequences
• Indian-population calibration: Saxena, Pillai, Krogman and Iscan

Work through each question before reading the explanation, and revisit every wrong answer against the Krogman and Iscan, Bass, White Black and Folkens, Gustafson, and Demirjian references cited. Allow 30 minutes.