New individual features in lip prints - a potential support for personal identification

Human Lip prints are usually found as physical evidence at the crime scenes. Lip prints are composed of a characteristic pattern formed by wrinkles and grooves present on the Klein's zone (mucosal area) of human lips. Various scientists have classified lip prints based upon the pattern of wrinkles and furrows (Martin Santos, Suzuki and Tsuchihashi, Renaud, Afchar Bayar, and Jose Maria Dominguez). Whereas Kasprzak classified lip prints based on 23 individual characteristics. In the present study, an attempt was made to further explore new features present on the lips besides Kasprzak's classification system. Lip prints were collected from 500 individuals using the standard tape lifting method and the digital images were divided into 10 sections, each. Each section was assessed separately to determine the presence of existing and new individual features so that even a smaller fragment of the lip print recovered from the crime scene can be identified successfully. 25 new Individual features were unveiled in the present study. The frequency of these features was calculated, and the results were found to be statistically significant. A new/combined Individual features' (Kasprzak's features and new features) classification system is expected to add more objectivity to the process of personal identification.