Earprints in forensic investigations

This article provides an overview of the theoretical and practical issues surrounding the use of earprints in forensic research. In the first section, we provide a limited account of the history of earprints in forensic investigations and their use as evidence in court. Criticism of the use of earprints for individualization is addressed and fundamental questions that require attention are summarized. In the second section, we summarize the results of various studies that we have performed on earprint variation. Potential causes of intraindividual variation in earprint appearance are, for instance, variations in the way the prints are lifted, variations in the time the donor spends listening, and variations in the force that is applied during listening. Concerning the latter, we have explored various factors that could influence applied force. We have also studied changes in the morphology of live ears during adulthood.