Human Anatomy Codexery

Fingerprint

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Fingerprints are impressions left by friction ridges on human fingers, and their matching is a widely used biometric technique.[1] The terms dermatoglyphics and dactylography both refer to the scientific examination of fingerprints.[2] Scholars, legal professionals, and news outlets have questioned the validity of fingerprint evidence.[3]

Key facts and history

Friction ridges are raised portions of epidermis on fingers, toes, palms, and soles.[4] Fingerprint identification, also called dactyloscopy or ridgeology, compares two friction ridge impressions to see if they come from the same individual.[5] In 2024, deep learning research found that fingerprints from different fingers of the same person could be identified as belonging to that individual with 99.99% confidence.[6] A 2023 study identified WNT, BMP, and EDAR as signaling pathways regulating primary ridge formation.[7]

Fingerprint patterns are hereditary, with monozygotic twins showing very similar but not identical prints.[8] Fingerprint ridges develop at approximately the 15th week of gestation and persist until postmortem decay sets in.[4] Fingerprint residue is composed of 95–99% water along with various organic and inorganic substances.[9] Prior to digital systems, large fingerprint collections were organized using manual classification methods such as the Henry Classification System.[10]

The Henry Classification System categorizes fingerprints into three fundamental types: loop, whorl, and arch.[11] Obtaining fingerprints from deceased individuals requires methods tailored to the skin's state, such as boiling to rehydrate dried skin or applying powder to lift ridge details.[12]

What the research sources say

Dr. Sue Jickells from Kings College, London, led work on how fingerprints are changed by age, smoking, drug use, and personal grooming products.[13] A lipid called squalene, a precursor to cholesterol, is heavily present in fingerprints.[13] Professor Neil McMurray's work showed it is possible to recover fingerprints from metal surfaces of bullets and shrapnel.[13] Dr. Roland Ennos designed a machine to measure friction generated by a fingerprint on acrylic glass.[14]

His research confirmed that fingerprints do not improve grip because they reduce skin's contact with objects.[14] Dr. Ennos believes fingerprints may have evolved to help grip rough surfaces or protect skin from damage.[14] A 2023 study showed that fingerprint-defining ridges expand outward in waves from three starting points on each fingertip.[15]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Biologically Rationalized Computing Techniques For Image Processing Applications", Springer, 2018, p. 116 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Dactylography." Merriam-Webster.com Medical Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/dactylography. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024. (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Paul Roberts, "Expert Evidence and Scientific Proof in Criminal Trials", Routledge, 2017; Dror, I.E., Charlton, D. and Péron, A.E. (2006) "Contextual information renders experts vulnerable to making erroneous identifications ", Forensic Science Inter (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology", Journal of Forensic Identification, 1991, p. 16–64; Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology", Journal of Forensic Identification, 1991, p. 16–64; Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology", Journal of Forensic Identification, 1991, p. 16–64; Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology", Journal of Forensic Identification, 1991, p. 16–64; Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology", Journal of Forensic Identification, 1991, p. 16–64 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology - Modern Evaluative Friction Ridge Identification", Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Ashbaugh, "Ridgeology", Journal of Forensic Identification, 1991, p. 16–64 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Guo, "Unveiling intra-person fingerprint similarity via deep contrastive learning", Science Advances, 2024 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Glover, "The developmental basis of fingerprint pattern formation and variation", Cell, 2023-02-09, p. 940–956.e20; "How fingerprints form was a mystery — until now", 2023-02-09; "Why don't identical twins have the same fingerprints? New study provides clues", Science, 2023-02-09 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Hold, "Quantitative Genetics of Finger-Print Patterns", British Medical Bulletin, 1961, p. 247–250; Hold, "Quantitative Genetics of Finger-Print Patterns", British Medical Bulletin, 1961, p. 247–250; Machado, "Digital Dermatoglyphic Heritability Differences as Evidenced by a Female Twin Study", Twin Research and Human Genetics, October 2010, p. 482–489; Sengupta, "Mode of inheritance of finger dermatoglyphic traits among Vaidyas of West Bengal, India", Annals of Human Biology, 2004-09-01, p. 526–540 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Cadd, "Fingerprint composition and aging: A literature review", Science & Justice, 2015-07-01, p. 219–238; Cadd, "Fingerprint composition and aging: A literature review", Science & Justice, 2015-07-01, p. 219–238; Cadd, "Fingerprint composition and aging: A literature review", Science & Justice, 2015-07-01, p. 219–238; Khare, "A review on the advancements in chemical examination of composition of latent fingerprint residues", Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2022-01-27, p. 6 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Engert, "International Corner", Identification News, 1964 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Henry, "Classification and Uses of Finger Prints", George Rutledge & Sons, Ltd, 1900; Ross, "From Template to Image: Reconstructing Fingerprints from Minutiae Points", IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, April 2007, p. 544–560; Engert, "International Corner", Identification News, 1964 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Fingerprint" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Uhle, "The Boiling Technique: A Method for Obtaining Quality Postmortem Impressions from Deteriorating Friction Ridge Skin", Journal of Forensic Identification, 2007, p. 358; Morgan, "Two Novel Methods for Enhancing Postmortem Fingerprint Recovery from Mummified Remains", Journal of Forensic Sciences, March 2019, p. 602–606; Morgan, "Two Novel Methods for Enhancing Postmortem Fingerprint Recovery from Mummified Remains", Journal of Forensic Sciences, March 2019, p. 602–606 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Ward, "Fingerprints hide lifestyle clues", BBC, April 2006. facts only, no text reused. news.bbc.co.uk
  14. "Fingerprint grip theory rejected", BBC News Online, 12 June 2009. facts only, no text reused. news.bbc.co.uk
  15. "How fingerprints form was a mystery — until now", 2023-02-09. facts only, no text reused. sciencenews.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Fingerprint (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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