Lip prints
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Authors
Petersen, Lincoln C.
Issue Date
2006
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Forensic sciences
Alternative Title
Abstract
Lip prints deal with the characteristics found on ones lips. Identifying a specific person to those characteristics (lip prints) is referred to as Cheiloscopy. The form of identification is slowly gaining popularity throughout the world. Lip prints are based on physical properties of an individual and during the occasions when the person’s lip prints are either smeared or smudged, it is possible to obtain biological evidence in the form of skin flakes or saliva. In this work I present case studies of biological families’ lip prints for the purpose of determining whether characteristics of those prints are hereditary. During the research I utilized two methodologies in obtaining lip prints; the development of a latent lip print utilizing a magnetic black powder, and gathering actual record lip prints on paper from the use of lipstick. The results of both processes clearly show which method worked best. There are five types of characteristics of a lip print and a person can possess just one or, in very rare occasions, all five. The findings of the obtained lip prints clearly reflect the most common characteristic type as well as establishing whether the lip print can be considered as being categorized as individual characteristic, unique to each person. Research of other lip print studies reflected similar results as this project.