Our demonstrators investigate: identifying the sex of a skull

As part of their Biomedical Science undergraduate degree, students here at Sheffield undertake a Forensic Anatomy module where they are given a box of ‘anatomical evidence’ relating to an unidentified person. This evidence includes a skull, long bones, dental information and a post mortem report.Students apply forensic techniques to this evidence, including a facial reconstruction, to determine the identity and cause of death. One of the first tasks they are faced with is to analyse the bones in order to determine age, sex, ethnicity and pathology.Here, we’ll watch three recent graduates from the course undertake an initial investigation of two skulls as they try to determine their sex. As you watch the video, pay close attention to the characteristics that distinguish the male and female skulls...