Forensic Experts Identify Faces With One or Two Features

A study by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that forensic facial specialists could match a concealed face to one of two similar faces with more than 90% accuracy after seeing just one or two features. Ears were the feature specialists most often chose, while ears and foreheads were linked to the highest accuracy; chins and necks were least helpful. Researchers say understanding specialists’ approach could inform expert training and facial-recognition algorithms, but caution that the experiment’s artificial conditions do not establish real-world accuracy.