NCJ Number
240678
Journal
Journal of Forensic Identification Volume: 62 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2012 Pages: 476-487
Date Published
October 2012
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A device called an earprint sampler has been developed to deposit earprints under controlled-force quantitites.
Abstract
There is evidence to suggest that no two human ears are identical. They have therefore been used for human identification purposes. The quantity of force applied to an ear during the deposition of a mark is known to affect the appearance of the mark and the detail available for identification. When earmarks are recovered from crime scenes, they are commonly compared to control earprints that have been recovered using a variety of techniques that deposit earprints at multiple force quantities. A device called an earprint sampler has been developed to deposit earprints under controlled-force quantities. Earprints were deposited using the earprint sampler at force quantities between 1 to 10 newtons (N). The results of the current study suggest that the quantity of force applied did affect the appearance of the prints, but the earprint sampler offered a means of controlling the deposition process. There was no statistically significant difference in the measurements taken from multiple earprints deposited at a 10 N force (p greater than or equal to 0.05), which provided evidence of repeatability. (Published Abstract)