Doppelganger study will help catch crims

Your chances of finding a real-life doppelganger are less than one-in-a-trillion.

That's according to a University of Adelaide study which provides "overwhelming" evidence that no two faces are the same, in a finding which could help convict criminals.

The study tried and failed to find matching faces using face and body measurements from almost 4000 people.

PHD student Teghan Lucas says this proves such measurements are as accurate as fingerprints or DNA when it comes to identifying criminals.

"Until now, using facial measurements to convict a suspect of a crime didn't stand up in court because there was no proof that no two faces were the same," she said.

"The study has provided overwhelming evidence that facial anthropometric measurements are an effective means for identifying a perpetrator when video or photographic surveillance has captured a crime."

Ms Lucas said the discovery would help catch criminals who were becoming smarter about avoiding leaving DNA or fingerprints at a crime scheme.