Goniocraniometry

/ˌɡoʊnioʊkræniˈɒmətri/ noun

Definition

The measurement of angles in the skull, particularly used in anthropology and craniological studies.

Etymology

From Greek gonia (angle) + cranium (skull) + -metry (measurement). A 19th-century anthropological term for quantifying skull shape variations.

Kelly Says

Victorian anthropologists used goniocraniometry to measure skulls, though this science was often misused to support false theories about racial differences—a cautionary tale about how bad science gets dressed up in technical language.

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