AN ASSESSMENT OF INHERITANCE PATTERN OF LIP PRINTS IN NATIONAL CAPITAL RANGE POPULATION

Abstract

Aims and Objectives- Lip prints are normal lines and fissures in the form of wrinkles
and grooves present on the lips. They are unique to each person but basic lip prints patterns
could still have similarities within the family. If established that there is a hereditary pattern in lip
prints patterns, they can be an important tool in personal identification and determining familial
lineage of a person. Therefore, present study was carried out to ascertain whether lip prints of
mother match with their corresponding children. Methodology- The subjects for the
investigation included 60 individuals of 30 families from NCR population. Mother and a daughter
or son of each family was selected and the lip patterns of the 30 off springs were compared with
the corresponding lip patterns of his or her mother. The lip prints were analyzed using
magnifying lens and were classified using the criteria given by Suzuki and Tsuchihashi. The
results were subjected to statistical analysis. Results- Hereditary resemblance was observed
between mother and off springs in 17 out of 30 cases. Lip print types I, II & III among mothers
were significantly more inherited by their children while lip print type IV & V were not inherited
significantly (the level of significance was set at p < 0.05). Conclusions- The result indicates
the role of heredity in lip patterns. This can be an aid for narrowing down investigations and also
a basis for genetic and inheritance implications.