NCJ Number
229696
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 55 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2010 Pages: 141-144
Date Published
January 2010
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The "lateral angle," the angle with which the posterior wall of the internal auditory canal meets the posterior fossa plate, is arguably wider in females (greater than 45 degrees) than males (less than 45 degrees). Not previously addressed, however, are repeatability of angle determination, and whether the extent of temporal bone pneumatization is a confounder.
Abstract
Forty-one adult human cranial specimens (82 clinically normal temporal bones) were studied; no sex information was available for this United States sample. Two casts were created from each ear; each cast was independently categorized twice. No association of lateral angle with mastoid size was found. Repeatability was good. Although bilateral symmetry was suggested (phi equals 0.60, p equals 0.05), two crania had oppositely categorized right-left angles. We observed a new finding: narrowed but clinically normal canals in 10 percent of crania. The lateral angle is a good candidate to be a morphological method in determination of sex. 2 figures, 2 tables, and 8 references (Published abstract)