[Artemisia] the princes in the tower

[Michael the Loud]

>> 2) Before puberty it is almost impossible to
>>    distinguish between male and female bones
>>    unless you have an entire well preserved
>>    skeleton.  Even then it can be difficult.

> While it is frequently more difficult, it is not 
> impossible to tell a boy from a girl skeletally,
> within a reasonable margin for error.  Still, with
> only a small chip of material, they would be able
> to tell if the skeletons were masculine or
> feminine.

In most cases you can't and anybody making such a
claim is really just guessing.  In the absents of DNA
identification is done based on post-puberty chemistry
and body stress so asking if a finger bone belonged to
a boy or a girl is nothing more than guesswork at this
point.  In most places there is too much moisture and
moisture destroys DNA and those softer tissues within
a few years.  When they do make an identification they
make those identification based on other artifacts
that accompany the remains.

Michael



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