A medical student was asked by her preceptor to palpate the margin of the superficial inguinal ring of a healthy male patient. After passing her finger down the edge of the medial crus of the superficial inguinal ring, she felt a bony protuberance deep to the lateral edge of the spermatic cord, which she correctly identified as the : A. pecten pubisB. pubic symphysisC. pubic tubercleD. iliopubic eminenceE. iliopectineal line