Women: they don’t make ’em like they used to

A study of 16th century European skulls by North Carolina State University researchers has found that women are beginning to resemble men as differences in gender-associated craniofacial features become less over time. The study, appearing in the journalForensic Science International, examined hundreds of Spanish and Portuguese skulls spanning four centuries.

Principal researcher, Dr. Ann Ross, said that craniofacial differences between contemporary men and women are less pronounced than they were in the 16th century. While craniofacial features for both sexes in Spain have changed over time, she explained, the changes have been particularly significant in females. “For example, the facial structure of modern Spanish females is much larger than the structure of 16th century females. This difference may stem from improved nutrition or other environmental factors,” she suggested.

Assessing the 16th century skulls was significant for the researchers as it allowed them to determine how the different features of male and female skulls have changed over time. “This has applications for characterizing older remains,” Ross says. “Applying 20th century standards to historical remains could be misleading, since sex differences can change over time – as we showed in this study.”

Ross said the researchers paid particular attention to structural differences between male and female skulls because; “this can help us establish the sex of the remains based on their craniofacial features, which is particularly important when an incomplete skeleton is found. Being able to tell if a skull belonged to a man or woman is useful in both criminal investigation and academic research.”

Related:
Men fueling plastic surgery boom
Modern Man In Evolutionary Fast Lane
Country boys boast bigger junk
The “perfect” body not always perfect

Source: North Carolina State University

, ,

Comments are closed.

Amazing Spider-Man #8 VG 4.0 1st Appearance Living Brain Human Torch picture

Amazing Spider-Man #8 VG 4.0 1st Appearance Living Brain Human Torch

$424.00



Fantastic Four #50 VG 4.0 3rd Appearance Silver Surfer Human Torch Marvel 1966 picture

Fantastic Four #50 VG 4.0 3rd Appearance Silver Surfer Human Torch Marvel 1966

$169.00



Amazing Spider-Man #21 VG+ 4.5 Human Torch Beetle Appearance Marvel 1965 picture

Amazing Spider-Man #21 VG+ 4.5 Human Torch Beetle Appearance Marvel 1965

$139.00



X-Men #13 GD+ 2.5 2nd Appearance Juggernaut Human Torch Stan Lee Marvel 1965 picture

X-Men #13 GD+ 2.5 2nd Appearance Juggernaut Human Torch Stan Lee Marvel 1965

$89.00



Ultimate Fallout #4 (Marvel, October 2011) picture

Ultimate Fallout #4 (Marvel, October 2011)

$404.00



Human Fly #1 (Marvel Comics 1977) 1st appearance + origin picture

Human Fly #1 (Marvel Comics 1977) 1st appearance + origin

$5.99



DC Action Comics #419 1972 Classic Neal Adams Cover 1st Human Target Appearance picture

DC Action Comics #419 1972 Classic Neal Adams Cover 1st Human Target Appearance

$34.99



Strange Tales #102 GD/VG 3.0 1st Appearance Wizard Human Torch Marvel 1962 picture

Strange Tales #102 GD/VG 3.0 1st Appearance Wizard Human Torch Marvel 1962

$69.00



Human Fly #1 CGC 9.2 (Sep 1977, Marvel) Origin, Spider-Man,  Al Milgrom Cover picture

Human Fly #1 CGC 9.2 (Sep 1977, Marvel) Origin, Spider-Man, Al Milgrom Cover

$55.20



Fantastic Four #50 VG/FN 5.0 3rd Appearance Silver Surfer Human Torch picture

Fantastic Four #50 VG/FN 5.0 3rd Appearance Silver Surfer Human Torch

$249.00



Powered by WordPress. Designed by WooThemes