Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton is a comprehensive work on the theory, methods, and current issues for sexing human skeletal remains. This work provides practitioners a starting point for research and practice on sex estimation to assist with the identification and analysis of human remains. It contains a collection of the latest scientific research, using metric and morphological methods, and contains case studies, where relevant, to highlight methodological application to real cases. This volume presents a truly comprehensive representation of the current state of sex estimation while also detailing the history and how we got to this point.
Divided into three main sections, this reference text first provides an introduction to the book and to sex estimation overall, including a history, practitioner preferences, and a deeper understanding of biological sex. The second section addresses the main methodological areas used to estimate sex, including metric and morphological methods, statistical applications, and software. Each chapter topic provides a review of older techniques and emphasizes the latest research and methodological improvements. Chapters are written by practicing physical anthropologists and also include their latest research on the topics, as well as relevant case studies. The third section addresses current considerations and future directions for sex estimation in forensic and bioarchaeological contexts, including DNA, secular change, and medical imaging Sex Estimation of the Human Skeleton is a one-of-a-kind resource for those involved in estimating the sex of human skeletal remains.
- Provides the first comprehensive text reference on sex estimation, with historical perspectives and current best practices
- Contains real case studies to underscore key estimation concepts
- Demonstrates the changing role of technology in sex estimation
Dr. Alexandra R. Klales is Director of the Forensic Anthropology Program and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology & Anthropology at Washburn University. She currently conducts forensic anthropological casework in Kansas and is working towards board certification. She is currently an Associate Member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (Anthropology section). Her research includes improving biological profile methods, fatal fire recoveries, 3D imaging, and statistical methods in forensic anthropology. She is currently PI (sex estimation database) and Co-PI (sub-adult sex and age estimation) on two National Institute of Justice Grants examining sex estimation and the biological profile. She teaches courses on forensic science, forensic anthropology, and human skeletal biology.
