Morphological markers of ear print in Iraqi population

Abstract

The outer ear is an emerging biometric that has drawn the attention of the research community for more than a decade. Empirical studies confirm, that the shape of the outer ear is unique, and it is also assumed to be stable throughout a human life time. An ear print is a two-dimensional depiction of the external ear pieces that have got into contact with a surface. In 1965, the first criminal ear print identification was made in Switzerland. The variation in shape and size of ear features makes it richer biometric tool than face. Material and method: The study performed a qualitative discrimination of the external ear shape of 143 individuals, including lobe size, lobe attachment, helix rolling, ear protrusion, and antihelix folding, by using ear photographs. Results: Six landmarks were evaluated for auricle morphometry in both sexes. There was variation in the morphological features of the external ear of the sampled subjects. The external ear features vary in both sexes. All variables were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05). The triangle-shaped ear was prevalent in females and males had an oval shape. ear print