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Otoscopy (Earprint)

Definition

Identification using the imprint of the external ear (helix, antihelix, tragus, antitragus, lobe). Iannarelli's 12-measurement system is the historical baseline; modern courts treat earprints as class, not individual, evidence.

Related terms

ABFO No. 2 Scale
The right-angle L-shaped reference scale with circular targets used in bite mark photography. Its design enables post-capture correction of lens distortion and...
Cheiloscopy
Study of lip prints (Greek cheilos, lip; skopein, to examine). The furrow system on human lips was first described by anthropologist R....
Class vs Individual Evidence
Class evidence narrows the population (group of possible sources); individual evidence identifies a single source. Lip, ear and bite-mark evidence now sit...
Forensic Odontology
The branch of dentistry that applies dental knowledge and methods to legal proceedings, including identification of the dead, bite-mark analysis, and age...
Suzuki-Tsuchihashi Classification
The 1970 system that divides lip groove patterns into five main types (I, I', II, III, IV, V) based on groove direction,...

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