Ear-shape as accurate as fingerprints

A new study – which compared the external ears of more than 1400 people of multiple nationalities, has found that the ear is as good an identifier of an individual as a fingerprint or DNA, and can even distinguish between identical twins.

The international research team behind the study, published in the journal, Morphologie, includes Dr Sudheer Babu Balla, from La Trobe University’s School of Rural Health in Bendigo, who analysed data from India.

According to Dr Balla, the distinctive shape and size of the ears are useful not only for the identification of the deceased but also for the recognition of the living – such as crime suspects and victims.

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