Photoanthropometry in forensics: Comparison of facial images with frontal and lateral views

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v10i5.14795

Keywords:

Forensic Dentistry; Face; Photographs.

Abstract

Photoanthropometry quantify the facial proportions of an individual facilitating the comparison of facial patterns for human identification. The coordinates and vertical distances in pixels of the photoanthropometric landmarks on images of the same individual in frontal and profile views were analyzed and compared. A total of 116 pairs of photographs of Brazilian individuals were evaluated. The photographs were adjusted in size and rotation, and marked in the software Two-dimensional Forensic Facial Analysis System. For each face, 16 landmarks were considered: glabella (g), nasion (n), ectocanthion (ec), pronasale (prn), subnasale (sn), alare (al), cheilion (ch), upper lip (ls), lower lip (li), stomion (sto), labiomental (lm), gnathion (gn), superaurale (sa), subaurale (sba), postaurale (pa) and upper ear lobe (slb); the x- and y-coordinates of each landmark were obtained. Twenty-seven vertical distances between the points were proposed, which were measured by subtracting the values of the y-coordinate. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Mann-Whitney test (α=5%). The mean age of the sample was 25.9 years (± 4.7), and 50.9% (n=59) were males. When the coordinates were evaluated, a low correlation was obtained between the images (ICC<0.4). Of the 27 proposed measures, 77.7% (n=21) indicated agreement between the images in the two views (p>0.05). A comparison of ls-g, sa-ec, pa-ec, slb-ec, sba-sa and slb-sa showed disagreement between the images. Therefore, there is agreement between the facial measures in the frontal and lateral images, except for ls-g and for the distances between the ear landmarks.

References

Akhter, Z., Banu, M. L., Alam, M. M., Hossaim, & S., Nazneen, M. (2013) Photo-anthropometric study on face among Garo adult females of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 9(2):61-64.

Allanson, J. E. (1997) Objective techniques for craniofacial assessment: what are the choices? Am J Med Genet 70:1-5.

Alves, Y. B., Falcão, T. N., & Fernandes, L. M. et al. (2021) Photoanthropometry as a method of facial analysis for forensic age estimation: a systematic review. Research, Society and Development 10(2): e60010212469. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i2.12469.

Baldasso, R. P., Tinoco, R. L. R., Vieira, C. S. M., Fernandes, M. M., & Oliveira, R. N. (2016) Correcting the planar perspective projection in geometric structures applied to forensic facial analysis. Forensic Sci Int 267:73-77.

Berkowitz, C. D. (2009). Child Pornography: Legal and Medical Considerations. Adv Pediatr 46:203-218.

Borges, D. L., Vidal, F. B., Flores, M. R. P., Melani, R. F. H., Guimarães, M. A., & Machado, C. E. P. (2018) Photoanthropometric face iridial proportions for age estimation: An investigation using features selected via a joint mutual information criterion. Forensic Sci Int 284:9-14.

Cattaneo, C., Obertová, Z., & Ratnayake, M. et al. (2012) Can facial proportions taken from images be of use for ageing in cases of suspected child pornography? A pilot study. Int J Legal Med 126:139-144.

Cronbach, L. J. (1951) Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika 16(3):297-334.

Davis, J. P., Valentine, T., & Davis, R. E. (2010) Computer assisted photo-anthropometric analyses of full-face and profile facial images. Forensic Sci Int 200:165-176.

Facial Identification Scientific Working Group. Facial Comparison Overview and Methodology Guidelines. https://fiswg.org/fiswg_facial_comparison_overview_and_methodology_guidelines_V1.0_20191025.pdf; 2019

Farrera, A., García-Velasco, M., & Villanueva, M. (2016) Quantitative assessment of the facial features of a Mexican population dataset. Forensic Sci Int 262:283.e1-283.e9.

Ferguson, E., & Wilkinson, C. (2017) Juvelile age estimation from facial images. Sci Justice 57(1):57-62.

Flores, M. R. P., & Machado, C. E. P. (2017). Manual of facial photoanthropometry: landmarks in frontal view from visual references. http://facisgroup. org/facial_landmarks.

Flores, M. R. P., Machado, C. E. P., Gallidabino, M. D., Arruda, G. H. M., Silva, R. H.A.; Vidal, F. B., & Melani, R. F. H. (2019). Comparative Assessment of a Novel Photo-Anthropometric Landmark-Positioning Approach for the Analysis of Facial Structures on Two-Dimensional Images. Journal of Forensic Sciences 64(3):828-838.

Gonzalez, P. S., Machado, C. E. P., & Michel-Crosato, E. (2018) Photoanthropometry of the Face in the Young White Brazilian Population. Braz Dent J 29(6):619-623.

Henriques, A. P., Naves, T.O., Bicalho, G.C., Vidal, F.B., & Borges, D.L. (2012) Uma proposta de ferramenta para investigação forense em imagens. Anais da Conferência Internacional de Ciências Forenses em Multimídia e Segurança Eletrônica 1:1-6.

İşcan, M. Y., & Helmer, R. P. (1993). Forensic analysis of the skull, 1st ed. New York, NY: Wiley-Liss.

Lakatos, E. M; & Marconi, M. A. (2021). Fundamentos de metodologia científica. São Paulo, Atlas.

Machado, C. E. P., Flores, M. R. P., Lima, L. N. C., Tinoco, R. L. R., Franco, A., & Bezerra, A. C. B. et al. (2017) A new approach for the analysis of facial growth and age estimation: Iris ratio. PLOS ONE 12(7):1-19.

Machado, C. E. P., Santiago, B. M., Lima, L. N. C., Gonzales, P. S., Franco, A., Vidal, F. B., Aguilera, I. A., & Guimarães, M. A. (2019) Applicability of a pre-established set of facial proportions from frontal photographs in forensic age estimation of a Brazilian population. Forensic Sci Int 301:e1-e7

Moreton, R., & Morley, J. (2011). Investigation into the use of photoanthropometry in facial image comparison. Forensic Sci Int 212:231-237.

Ogawa, Y., Wada, B., Taniguchi, K., Miyasaka, S., & Imaizumi, K. (2015) Photo anthropometric variations in Japanese facial features: Establishment of large-sample standard reference data for personal identification using a three-dimensional capture system. Forensic Sci Int 257:511.e1-511.e9.

Porter, G., & Doran, G. (2000). An anatomical and photographic technique for forensic facial identification. Forensic Sci Int 114:97-105.

Ritz-timme, S., Gabriel, P., Tutkuviene, J., Poppa, P., Obertová, Z., & Gibelli, F. et al. (2011) Metric and morphological assessment of facial features: A study on three European populations. Forensic Sci Int 207:239.e1-239.e8.

Roelofse, M. M., Steyn, M. & Becker, P. J. (2008) Photo identification: Facial metrical and morphological features in South African males. Forensic Sci Int 177:168-175.

Shrout, P. E., & Fleiss, J. L. (1979) Intraclass correlations: uses in assessing rater reliability. Psychol bull 86(2):420.

Tistarelli, M., Bicego, M., & Grosso, E. (2009) Dynamic face recognition: from human to machine vision. Image and Vision Computing 27(3):222-232.

Vargo, J., Nesbit, J. C., Belfer, K., & Archambault. (2003). A Learning object evaluation: computer-mediated collaboration and inter-rater reliability. International Journal of Computers and Applications 25(3):198-205.

Wilkinson, C., & Evans, R. (2009). Are facial image analysis experts any better than the general public at identifying individuals from CCTV images? Sci Justice 49:191-196.

Downloads

Published

07/05/2021

How to Cite

FALCÃO, T. N.; ALVES, Y. B. .; NASCIMENTO, L. G. do; TINOCO, R. L. R.; LIMA, L. N. C.; MACHADO, C. E. P.; SANTIAGO, B. M. Photoanthropometry in forensics: Comparison of facial images with frontal and lateral views. Research, Society and Development, [S. l.], v. 10, n. 5, p. e27610514795, 2021. DOI: 10.33448/rsd-v10i5.14795. Disponível em: https://www.rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/14795. Acesso em: 18 apr. 2024.

Issue

Section

Human and Social Sciences