Firouzeh Habibi Khorasani - Biology, Kavian, Mashhad, Iran
Nasser Mahdavi Shahri - Biology, Kavian, Mashhad, Iran

Background and Aim: In the last few years, the study of lip prints becomean aid in individual identification in the legal investigation and forensicmedicine. The present study aimed to ascertain whether the lip patternsare inheritable from parents to children.Methods: This study was conducted on 49 males and females belongedto several relatives of Iranian population in Khorasan Razavi province inwhich families are 3-generation, in other words, families were consideredfrom grandparent to grandchild. Lips of individuals were covered by ared or brown lipstick gently. The lip prints were recorded by sticking apiece of cellophane tape on lips, then moving on A4-sized white paper.Also, by using a digital camera (16 MP) some pictures of lips were taken.Lip prints and pictures were studied by utilizing a magnifying lens andclassification of Suzuki and Tsuchihashi.Results: The result of the study showed that no two people have similarpatterns and only 10.20% of females and males had the same pattern inthe same site identically as they mothers had, but in fathers and childrenno similarities appeared in patterns. Moreover, no relation was seenbetween patterns of grandparents and grandchildren. To some extent,resemblances were observed between siblings and also between auntsand nieces or nephews.Conclusion: As the low level of resemblances was observed (10.20%)in individuals lip prints pattern from 2 generations, it is concluded thateven though mother has a scant role in heredity of patterns, lip printspattern is unique and do not follow a direct inheritance system and everyindividual inherits their pattern and grooves separately from their parentor grandparent.

Cheiloscopy; Genetics; Iranian population; Lip print; Physical anthropology