A study on the determination of sex using lip print patterns among indigenes of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

The lip print pattern is the characteristic pattern of the wrinkles and grooves present on the labial mucosa. This study evaluated the determination of sex among indigenes of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria using lip print patterns. 100 subjects (50 males and 50 females), aged 18-25 years participated in the study. With written consent, lip prints were collected from the subjects. Samples were analyzed using Suzuki and Tsuchihashi classification of lip prints. The lip samples were analyzed as a whole and then divided into six portions Right Upper Portions, Middle Upper Portion, Left Upper Portion, Right Lower Portion, Middle Lower Portion and Left Lower Portion and analyzed differently. Data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and T - test analysis. The result shows that the most prevalent lip print in males considering the lip as a whole is Type I (29%) while that of the females is Type I’ (32%). In six portions, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the lip print patterns in male and female subjects in the Right Upper Portion (25.960), Left Upper Portion (15.455) and Middle Left Portion (19.948) suggesting that these portions can be effectively used for sex determination among these indigenes. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the thickness of lip in males and in females but, the lower lip was significantly thicker (p < 0.01) than the upper lip in both gender. Results also showed that the length of lips in males was significantly longer (p < 0.01) than that of females. This study, therefore, concludes that determination of sex among indigenes of Akwa Ibom State using lip length and lip print patterns in specific portions of Right Upper Portion, Left Upper Portion and Middle Left Portion can be effectively done.