Parts of some human skeletal remains are brought to you. The pelvis is
complete, yet the individual bones of the pelvis, the ilium, ischium,
and pubis have just started to fuse together. The subpubic angle you
estimate at 60° and the pelvic brim has a distinctive heart shaped
appeareance. On the basis of this information, you guess the remains are
of which of the following?
A. 3-year-old female
B. 4-year-old male
C. 14-year-old male
D. 30-year-old female
A. 3-year-old female
B. 4-year-old male
C. 14-year-old male
D. 30-year-old female
Ans. C.
Because the sub-
pubic angle is about 60° and the pelvic brim is heart shaped, you are look ing
at a male. The bones of the pelvis arise from three different centers of
ossification and generally fuse together at about puberty through the
twenty-third year, thus you know you have to be looking at a 14-year-old male,
not a 3-year-old or an 80-year-old male.
