Sexual Dimorphism in The Cranium of Cercopithecus Ascanius

Abstract

To determine specific characteristics useful in sex determination in Cercopithecus ascanius crania, 17 cranial measurements and 10 cranial indices were derived from twenty-seven adult male and seventeen adult female crania and were subjected to discriminant function and canonical analysis. Significant differences between male and female skulls included overall size, especially in the palatal and orbital areas of the cranium. Important differences also existed in the shape of the palate, orbits, and cranial vault in relation to the facial region. Comparison and application of the results of this study to data on other Old-World monkey species indicated that information useful in assessing possible panprimate patterns of sexual dimorphism may be inferred, as differences between male and female crania in the orbital, facial, and palatal areas were common to other species investigated.