Mark,

I assume the ears are not used as a landmark features originally with the nose, eyes and mouth lines is because we are looking at a 3-d person and the ears could be tilted relative the the foreground features? And that explains why the ears don’t originally line up with the others in horizontal lines but you can then go back and compare ear size only after the original analysis but not position? Msybe this explains why ears don’t “line up” in post 127? Maybe this is obvious or I’m way off but would be interesting to hear. Thanks, Kell

>> Griffon 512: What's most interesting to me is how strong confirmation bias can be and how belief is more important than reality in shaping views.

I have published more than one article on how confirmation affects this. I had read a few sciientific articles on how confirmation bias affects ID of criminal suspects. There is little doubt that it affects collectors (and relatives) looking for the great find.

One can hire a pro and it will cost $2000 - $3000 for a written assessment. I doubt the OP would be willing to pay for something he won't understand.

Responding to celoknob: It only takes a couple of degrees of head tilt difference (towards or away from the viewer) to change the alignment of the ears with the landmarks on the face. So it is hard to use ear position relative to other features. In some cases it can be done, but it can be more complicated and we don't need it for this one.

>> And that explains why the ears don’t originally line up with the others in horizontal lines but you can then go back and compare ear size only after the original analysis but not position?

Yes

>> From Fred: IMO it looks like Paul Waner, but that doesn't mean much

Yes it doesn't mean much. Confirmation bias.

While not specifically Paul Waner, this photo sequence illustrates how facial features can change dramatically over time.

Compare the photos of Joe Jackson as a young man, a middle aged man and a senior citizen. Thus, the significant ear growth and nose droop exhibited by Waner over the years is minor by comparison...