Anatomy of the Lips for Autopsy

Need for Autopsy in every death –

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Anatomy of the Lips for Autopsy

The present study to assess the suitability of lip prints for personal identification of an individual was carried out by, the lips of the individuals were cleaned with a wet tissue. Then, the selected

lipstick was applied over the lips in one stroke, with the lips being kept in normal position. Following which the cellophane tape was used for lifting the lip prints by placing the tape on the lips soiled with lipstick and it was gently pressed over the lips. The tape with transferred lip prints was then gently stuck on a white paper. At least three prints were taken from each individual to obtain one complete print sufficient for examination of patterns in all the four quadrants of the lip print and to avoid effects of any subjective pressures applied on to the lips during collection or transfer. Slight variations in

the strength or direction of pressure applied may affect the accuracy levels of lip print impressions.

The picture of the transferred lip prints was scanned, and the pattern types was classified and analysed, using Adobe Photoshop CS55 & inverted grey scale and magnifying glass. For analysis, lip patterns image was divided into four quadrants based on the fact that lips do not have one pattern as a whole but have combination of patterns on both the upper and lower lip.

The pattern type was recognised in each of the respective quadrant, named as 1, 2, 3 and 4, starting from left side of upper lip and moving clockwise to right side of lower lip. Anatomic position of labial grooves close to vermilion border is a movable zone, so the prints made may differ in the appearance depends upon the pressure applied and the direction of the pressure.

Descriptive statistics were calculated and analysis was conducted with the frequency of each lip print type being tabulated; percentage of each lip-print pattern was calculated and compared for different quadrants and between different genders. Chi-square test was applied to test the significance of differences between the genders in each individual quadrant and all quadrants taken together. 

It was observed:

• reticulate type of grooves was more commonly found in females, and disparity in different pattern frequencies were not so remarkable in females as in males.

• the branched furrow/groove pattern was commonly present in upper lips of both the sexes and; reticulate prints in male and intersecting patterns in female upper labia were absent. Similarly, long vertical prints were commonly present in the female lower lip, and was totally absent in lower lips of both genders.

• among the occupationists, it was observed that basic dominant lip patterns were same as in normal population, though they were highly distorted in lower quadrants in both genders particularly among tailors, shoe-makers, barbers and brass-players.

Helen Fisher, an American anthropologist, was the first to recognise the unique and unchangeable characteristic arrangement of groove lines on the vermillion red of both upper and lower lips. Following which some researchers have successfully manage to establish a relationship between lip prints and other important biomarkers of human identity like blood groups, fingerprints or palatal rugae of same person. Timings, pressure, direction and method of obtaining lip prints may change the appearance of lip prints.

Noted Indian Anthropologist, I. J. S. Bansal had found a strong association between predominant lip patterns and the respective fingerprint pattern of an individual on the basis of elaborate observations of lip print and fingerprint pattern types amongst more than 5000 adult individuals.

A separate study had demonstrated the comparative significance of Cheiloscopy, Palatoscopy and Canine Odontometrics for the purpose of sex determination and reported that sex of 81.7% of the individuals can be discriminated on the basis of lip-prints only.

From the above analytical studies, it was observed and thus can be concluded that lip print patterns are unique to an individual and no two individuals were having same types of prints and thus can be used for individualisation of victim or suspect. Significant sexual dimorphism was noted in pattern types in different genders. An extensive research on a larger sample has demonstrated the fact that the application of a thick layer of lipstick, along with over stretching of the cellophane on the lip surface may alter the lip prints and should be taken care of while performing the examination.

Writer Suvro Sanyal

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