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Variation in pelvic size between males and females
Author(s) -
Tague Robert G.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330800108
Subject(s) - sexing , pelvis , female pelvis , biology , demography , anatomy , zoology , sociology
Selection intensity and phenotypic variability are inversely related. It has been hypothesized that, owing to opposing selection pressures on pelvic morphology in females between efficiency in locomotion and obstetric adequacy, female pelvic morphology is less variable than that in males. The hypothesis was supported based on data derived from observational methods of sexing pelves (Meindl et al., 1985). The hypothesis was tested in the present study based on a metrical analysis of the true pelvis. The results show that there are no sexual differences in pelvic variability. Consequently, while males and females are equally variable in the dimensions of the true pelvis, the visual cues that osteologists use to sex pelves are more variable in males.