Atavistic form

• Theory of atavistic form

  A historical approach to offender profiling
• Theory of atavistic form

  • Proposed by the Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso in the 1870s
  • Criminals have distinguishing physical features, called atavistic features, that originate from a more primitive stage of evolutionary development
  • This lack of evolutionary development explains why criminals are savage, untamed and unable to conform to the rules of modern society
• Atavistic features identified by Lombroso

  • Heavy brow
  • Strong jaw
  • Large ears
  • High cheekbones
• Atavistic features of murderers

  • Bloodshot eyes
  • Curly hair
  • Long ears
• Atavistic features of sexual deviants

  • Glinting eyes
  • Swollen, fleshy lips
  • Projecting ears