Sexual dimorphism in the basilar part of the occipital bone of the dog (Canis familiaris)

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism in the surface markings of the basilar part of the occipital bone of 34 male and 46 female dog’s skulls were studied with the following results: 1 of the 34 male skulls showed a female type surface marking, 4 of the 46 female skulls showed surface markings of the opposite sex, while 2 of the male and 3 of the female skulls could not be classified as belonging to either type, so that 10 out of the 80 skulls could not be identified correctly, indicating that 87.5% of the skulls could be identified positively. Considering that there are hardly any sexual differences in the other surface markings or in the dentition of the dog’s skull, these findings may be of some help in sexing the skull of the dog.