Ears are reportedly as accurate as fingerprints and even DNA for identifying individuals, claim researchers from Australia’s La Trobe University.

According to the La Trobe University team, the research was conducted to validate a technique called Cameriere's ear identification method, which relies on measurements and ratios of various sections of the outer ear, including the helix, antihelix, concha and lobe.

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The researchers suggest that because there is low probability of finding two individuals — even among identical twins — with the exact shape and sized ears, they could potentially be used to identify victims of crimes and suspects, both living and dead.

To make this determination, a comparison was made of the external ears of more than 1,400 people of several different nationalities.

An article detailing the team’s findings, Ear identification: A multi-ethnic study sample, appears in the journal Morphologie.