StuDIES on tHE DEvEloPmEnt oF lAtEnt EAR PRIntS AnD tHEIR SIgnIFICAnCE In PERSonAl IDEntIFICA tIon

Abstract

Latent ear prints can be recovered in various cases such as burglary, theft and hit & run etc. The present study mainly concerns the development of latent ear prints using black powder, ninhydrin and iodine fuming and, furthermore, finding the right pathway to develop latent ear prints by applying a suitable technique. The results obtained in the present study demonstrate that treatment of ear prints with black powder and iodine fuming produces better results as compared to ninhydrin, indicating that these can be used for the development of latent ear prints. Observable morphological features of the ear auricle such as the helix, antihelix, tragus, antitragus etc. are more frequently present and can be applied to identification collectively in criminal investigations.