Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Can Your Lips Reveal your Identity?

Photo of profiles of child and adult faces

Establishing a person’s identity is a main concern of forensic investigators, and India’s Forensic Science Laboratories often field questions about the parentage of children. While DNA testing is reliable and trusted, a simpler, less costly primary test is desired. New research is intriguing.

Dr. Anshika Dube, of the Institute of Forensic Science at Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, has conducted an exploratory study of the relationship between gender and genetic factors in rugoscopy (the study of the hard tissue patterns of the mouth’s palate), chieloscopy (the study of lip pattens), and dactyloscopy (the study of fingerprints).

The findings have been promising, showing a strong correlation between parents and children. The rugoscopy results showed a 71.4% correlation between mother and daughter, and 66.7% between father and son. Chieloscopy results showed a nearly 100% correlation between mother and daughter, and father and son. Of the two, rugoscopy may end up being more useful, as the hard palate is less likely to be changed by damage from injury.

Hard palate patterning or lip prints may end up becoming tools to provide an initial test to identify the family lineage of a missing person. They may also become another tool to help forensic investigators identify suspects. Research is ongoing.


Lips can reveal your identity


Parth Shastri | The Times of India | City News|Ahmedabad News | April 10, 2017

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