IDENTIFICATION OF INDIVIDUALS BASED ON EXTERNAL APPEARANCE FEATURES: FORENSIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS
Keywords:
Forensic identification; external appearance; anthropometry; morphological features; forensic registration; biometric systems; facial recognition; criminalistics.Abstract
This article examines the forensic identification of individuals based on external appearance features and the role of forensic registration systems in modern criminalistics. The study analyzes the scientific foundations of anthropometric, morphological, and descriptive classification techniques and evaluates the integration of biometric technologies—such as facial recognition algorithms, 3D modeling, dermatoglyphics, and photographic registration—into traditional forensic practice. Using comparative analysis of classical criminological theories, contemporary biometric research, and practical case materials, the article outlines the capacities and limitations of appearance-based identification in investigative processes. The results highlight the necessity of methodological rigor, multimodal biometric verification, and consistently updated forensic registries to ensure reliability in offender identification, missing persons searches, and postmortem examinations.
References
Bertillon A. Identification Anthropométrique. – Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1893. – 214 p.
Locard E. Manual of Criminalistics. – London: Butterworths, 1960. – 423 p.
Zhao W., Chellappa R. Face Recognition: A Literature Survey. – New York: Springer, 2015. – 278 p.
Jain A., Ross A., Nandakumar K. Introduction to Biometrics. – New York: Springer, 2011. – 380 p.
Nixon M., Carter J. Human Identification Based on Gait. – London: Springer, 2006. – 265 p.
Maltoni D., Jain A. Handbook of Fingerprint Recognition. – London: Springer, 2009. – 495 p.
Osterburg J., Ward R. Criminal Investigation: A Method for Reconstructing the Past. – Cincinnati: Anderson Publishing, 2010. – 520 p.
