Ear morphometry for sex and stature prediction in native North Indian Haryanvi population

Ear biometry is a form of biometric identification that identifies individuals using unique physical characteristics of the ear. It is a non-invasive and reliable technique that can be used by forensic experts in related crime cases or for making a biological profile. The shape and size of the ear are determined by genetics and developmental processes and remain stable throughout a person’s lifetime making this feature reliable and difficult to alter. However, these databases are scarce in India, and population variation can affect the accuracy of ear biometric identification.

This study aims to develop population-specific discriminant formulas for sex estimation and a regression model for height estimation from the ear in the adult Haryanvi population.

A total of 9 ear variables (left and right side) were measured on 113 males and 102 females with the help of vernier callipers. SPSS 16.0 was used for statistical analysis. Student’s T-test showed a significant difference between males and females.

Discriminant function analysis revealed a sex classification accuracy of 78.1% accuracy using 8 variables. However, the regression analysis showed a weak correlation of ear variables with height (R2=.053 to 0.174).

The findings of this research demonstrate that ear variables could be used to estimate sex but prediction with stature was found to be not highly significant and population variation must be considered for accurate results. The results of the present study can be used in different forensic scenarios for sex and stature estimation as well as in clinical and anthropological settings.