Sex identification utilizing the size of the foramen magnum

The sex of unidentified skeletons is not always easily and correctly determined by the general medical examiner with no formal training in forensic anthropology. Sometimes the diagnostic procedure may be extremely complicated when handling fragmented bones. The present preliminary observations concern the evaluation of the size of the foramen magnum in 40 skulls (20 of each sex). Our results indicate that this method may be useful in the sexing of skeletal remains under the above-mentioned conditions as well as when an expert in forensic anthropology or a crime laboratory is not available.