# Facial mark based biometric differentiation of identical twins using dynamic feature enhancement

**Authors:** Khush Jay Brahmbhatt, Krishna Prakasha, Gangothri Sanil

PMC · DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-39470-y · 2026-02-16

## TL;DR

This paper presents a machine learning framework that can distinguish identical twins using facial skin marks with high accuracy.

## Contribution

A novel machine learning framework using facial skin marks and dynamic feature enhancement to differentiate identical twins.

## Key findings

- The framework achieved 96.62% cross-validation accuracy and 90.6% AUC score.
- Random search optimization provided the best performance-efficiency trade-off with 90.6% AUC and 88.4% test accuracy.

## Abstract

This comprehensive study demonstrates an advanced machine learning framework for distinguishing identical twins using facial skin marks, achieving 96.62% cross-validation accuracy and 90.6% AUC score. The methodology incorporates four distinct hyperparameter optimization techniques (random search, Bayesian optimization, particle swarm optimization, and grid search), comprehensive statistical validation, and a robust preprocessing pipeline including PCA and SMOTE. Analysis of 74 twin pairs from 319 processed images using automated facial mark detection and multi-metric similarity assessment reveals spatial distribution patterns as the primary discriminating factor. The framework employs sophisticated feature engineering (32\documentclass[12pt]{minimal}
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				\begin{document}$$\rightarrow$$\end{document}6 dimensions) and achieves statistically significant performance (p < 0.001) with minimal overfitting. Random search optimization emerged as the optimal method, providing the best performance-efficiency trade-off with 90.6% AUC, 88.4% test accuracy, and the fastest execution time (31.8s). The system demonstrates production-ready computational efficiency and establishes a reliable foundation for forensic biometric applications with comprehensive statistical validation and deployment specifications. Figure 1 depicts the graphical abstract.

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** FPR1 (formyl peptide receptor 1) [NCBI Gene 2357] {aka FMLP, FPR}, RBM8A (RNA binding motif protein 8A) [NCBI Gene 9939] {aka BOV-1A, BOV-1B, BOV-1C, C1DELq21.1, DEL1q21.1, MDS014}, TPR (translocated promoter region, nuclear basket protein) [NCBI Gene 7175] {aka MRT79}, SHROOM4 (shroom family member 4) [NCBI Gene 57477] {aka MRXSSDS, SHAP, shrm4}, PGR (progesterone receptor) [NCBI Gene 5241] {aka NR3C3, PR}
- **Diseases:** Dry skin (MESH:D015352), AAM (MESH:D004195), mole (MESH:D009506), miscarriage (MESH:D000022), sexual assault (MESH:D050035), skin anomalies (MESH:D012868), acne (MESH:D000152), conditions (MESH:D020763), FRST (MESH:D007003), skin diseases (MESH:D012871), MRF (MESH:D007922), COVID-19 (MESH:D000086382), ND (MESH:C537849)
- **Chemicals:** PSO (-)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606]

## Figures

19 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13000307/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC13000307