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Earprints, Forensic Evidence of

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Biometrics

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Synonyms

ACE-V; Earmark(s); Earprints; Identification

Definition

Forensic evidence of earprint is the field of forensic science devoted to the collection and comparison of earmark(s) (generally left in association to a crime scene) with earprints obtained from ears of individuals of interest under controlled condition. Anthropometric studies and empirical evidence have shown that the forms left by an ear are very discriminating and allow bringing evidence of reasonable strength regarding the identity of sources.

Current research aims at bringing structured data relevant to the forensic examination process and move from a field dominated by subjectively informed experience and anecdotal evidence to a field where transparent data allows an assessment of the case.

Introduction

The use of earmarks in forensic science is a consequence of the recovery of such marks during crime scene investigation. Earmarks are left on surfaces where one applies his or her ear to listen. The deposition...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminal Justice – Forensic Science, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Christophe Champod

Authors
  1. Christophe Champod
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biometrics and Security, Research & National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Stan Z. Li

  2. Departments of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA

    Anil K. Jain

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Champod, C. (2015). Earprints, Forensic Evidence of. In: Li, S.Z., Jain, A.K. (eds) Encyclopedia of Biometrics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7488-4_105

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