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.
- Basis
- Imprint of the external ear (helix, antihelix, tragus, antitragus, lobe)
- Historical method
- Iannarelli's 12-measurement system
- Legal status
- Class evidence, not individual, in modern courts
- Related discipline
- Grouped with cheiloscopy and forensic odontology
Common questions
Why do modern courts treat earprints as class rather than individual evidence?+
Research has not established a validated statistical basis for ear-print uniqueness comparable to fingerprints, and pressure during contact can distort the print, so earprints can narrow a pool of suspects but cannot support an individualisation claim on their own.
Is earprint identification still used in casework today?+
It is used sparingly and mainly as corroborating or investigative lead evidence, not as standalone identification evidence, because its evidentiary weight has been repeatedly challenged in court since the landmark UK Mark Dallagher case.
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,...