Lip traces in forensic science

Abstract

Cheiloscopy is a study of lip prints which helps in the identification of humans based on lip traces. It is based on the fact that the pattern of lines on the red part of human lips is unique to each human being. The aim of the present study is to ascertain whether lip prints have the potential for assessment of sex of an individual from the configuration and to identify the most common pattern. Lip prints were collected and matched according to Suzuki and Tsushihashi′s classification. The most common pattern found in female was Types I and I′, while Type IV and Type V were predominant among males. Studies show that lip prints have a great potential to establish individuality, show gender variation, and remain unchanged forever.

Keywords

• Cheiloscopy
• forensic odontology
• lip traces
• sex assessment