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I think that's unnecessarily dismissive. Males do tend to have higher bone density among other things. Such things could contribute to the DNA being better pres

I think that's unnecessarily dismissive. Males do tend to have higher bone density among other things. Such things could contribute to the DNA being better preserved. I think it's a perfectly valid question in our layman conversation, even though it's certainly something the researchers of this field have already thought about.

chrisco255 4y ago
I wasn't being dismissive, just inquisitive. Are denser bones able to preserve DNA better from decay? We don't typically need DNA to be able to tell the sex of a fossil skeleton, the size and shape of the fossils alone give that away. Perhaps it is the case that the bones themselves survive better as fossils as a result of the added density. But then, I'm also curious about the conditions necessary for a fossil to be preserved at all, as the vast majority of dead creatures gets reabsorbed indistinguishably back into the soil.
causi 4y ago
In mammals. In reptiles and fish it's typically the female that's larger.