Examination of Firearms Review: 2007 to 2010 - Interpol

pathological conditions that render impossible this comparison. In the same article,
the study of palatal rugae is also reviewed in the same way. A study on the patterns
of lip-prints of 966 Saudi subjects, including 13 identical twins, has been carried out.
They were then classified according to the Renaud classification system, which was
slightly modified. No two patterns were found to be identical, including in the identical
twins (although twins showed some similarity in the groove types). Detailed
frequencies of the different classes of lip patterns are reported, by sex and for each
of six regions of the lips (407). Direct measurement of the lips of 532 male and 386
female subjects has been used to investigate the variability between the dimensions
of the mouth and lips of male and female subjects, and the age-related differences. A
relatively large number of measures were carried out in the course of this study; it
was shown that all volumes and the total lip area, as well as mouth and philtrum
widths and total lip heights were larger for men than for women. The vermillion height
to mouth width ratio is larger for girls than for boys and for women than for men, but
larger for adolescent boys than for girls. All measurements significantly changed with
age, and there were significant interactions between age and sex (408).
The development of lipmarks left with lipstick on human skin has been investigated.
A single type of protective lipstick has been used in this study, applied to a mould
which was used to leave marks on the skin of 40 deceased individuals, on the right
side of the neck and the anterior region of the forearm. Observation using a UV light
source, dusting using REDescent Fluorescent Latent Prints Powder and Nile Red
and observation under UV were used. Development was carried out 15 minutes after
having left the lip mark. Observation under UV allowed locating the lip marks. Of the
two reagents tested, REDescent Fluorescent Latent Prints Powder developed all
marks, but not Nile Red (409).
Barbaro et al. investigated DNA typing from lipstick prints on skin. The sample
consisted of four women, who kissed the face of one man, once with light protective
and once with long-lasting lipstick. Overall eight swabs were collected. Analyses
were carried out both using Identifiler and Minifiler kits. Better recovery was obtained
from light protective lipstick than from long-lasting; however generally a mixture
between the female and male components was obtained, but both cases where only
the male component was present and cases where only the female component was
present were observed. In particular, the profile of one of the women never appeared
(410).
Note also that lips have been suggested as a biometric modality as well (411).
4 Crime scenes and case studies
Reported case studies were dealing with: indented fingermarks under
paint (412), the voluntary deposition of a toemark on falsified checks to
mislead the investigation (413), skin removal and conservation (414), the
role played (or not) by the deprivation level on the recovery of fingermarks
and DNA (415), voluntary incorporation of “fingermarks” on some CD
brands (416), fingermarks on a window frame that resisted a washing step
(417), processing of a self-adhesive stamp using heat, Wetwop and
ninhydrin (418), fingermarks on foldable items (419), fingermarks found on
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