Obstetric dimensions of the female pelvis are less integrated than locomotor dimensions and show protective scaling patterns: Implications for the obstetrical dilemma.

This study suggests that the obstetric pelvis and the locomotor pelvis function are morphologically distinct, with the obstetric pelvis showing relatively greater flexibility. These relationships between relative constraints support the hypothesis that the modern female pelvis shows evidence of both canalization and phenotypic plasticity in obstetric and locomotor structures.