Difference between Male and Female Skeleton: What’s the Difference?

Main Difference

Skeleton is the framework of our body. It gives our body the strength and rigidity which is required by our body. Skeleton helps in maintaining body’s posture, mobility and strength. The main difference between male and female skeleton lies in the pelvis mainly. Apart from that, there is no method that could determine the sex of the skeleton with 100% accuracy. The pelvis of a male skeleton is narrow and less roomy. While that of female skeleton is wide and deep because of the child’s birth process that has to be taken place in the female.

Male Skeleton

Pelvic cavity is narrower in males as compared to females, apart from that it is heavy and thick. Sacrum is long, narrow and more concave in shape but coccyx is less movable in a male skeleton. There are many more structural differences in male and female skeleton. In males, a hormone called testosterone is released which helps in the growth of males. Structural differences lies in the skull, too. External occipital protuberance is a small protrusion at the back of the skull which is more prominent in a male skull rather a female skull. Apart from that, the brow bones are also very prominent in a male skull as compared to female skull. Bones that make up limbs also show dramatic differences. For instance, tibia and fibula of a male skeleton are more thicker.

Female Skeleton

In females, estrogen hormone is released which is important for the growth of female bones and for maintaining their strength. Females are known to get mature first and that is reason why their pace of growth is faster than that of males. Jaw bones of  female skull are more rounded but that of male skull are rounded. Generally, a female skeleton is lighter and smaller than a male skeleton but some female skeletons are even heavier than a male skeleton. When a female hits puberty, her estrogen level is so high and it causes female bones to stop developing by the age of 18.

Key Differences

• Male skeleton is heavier and larger than female skeleton, generally.
• The pelvis is heavy and thick in males, lighter in females.
• Joint surface is large in a male skeleton and small in a female skeleton.
• Sciatic notch is narrow in male and wide in female.
• Anterior superior iliac spine lies closer in a male skeleton but it is wide apart in a female skeleton.
• Coccyx is less movable and sacrum is long in a male skeleton. Coccyx is more movable and sacrum is shorter in a female skeleton.
• Limb bones of a male skeleton are larger and thicker than female skeleton.

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