The physical evidence recovered from a scene will provide which characteristics?

• A. Class characteristics
• B. Individual characteristics
• C. Both class and individual characteristics
• D. Neither

Answer: (C)

Physical evidence often carries two levels of information: class characteristics and individual characteristics. Class characteristics are features that place evidence into a category or source group, such as fiber type or color, glass composition, or the general caliber of a bullet. Individual characteristics are unique details that can tie evidence to a single source, like a specific fingerprint minutiae pattern, an exact DNA profile, or distinctive tool-mark wear from one particular object.

Because many types of evidence exhibit both, the best interpretation is that recovered material can provide either or both kinds of information. For example, a bullet can reveal its caliber and rifling pattern (class) and also show unique striations from a specific firearm (individual). Similarly, a fabric fiber might indicate the fiber type (class) while a particular flaw or dye irregularity could point to a single item from which it came (individual). This combination strengthens the ability to narrow to a source group and, in favorable cases, identify a specific source.