ARE FINGERPRINT PATTERNS INHERITED GENETICALLY?

By Melody Nordberg

RECOGNIZING THE FINGERPRINTS SEEN IN THIS STUDYOnly four of eight categories were seen on the right thumbs of participants

PLAIN ARCH – GENTLE, MOUND-LIKE RISE

ULNAR LOOP – LOOP ENTERING FROM THE RIGHT

PLAIN WHORL – CIRCULAR PATTERN

DOUBLE LOOP WHORL – “S” SHAPED

NOTE: IMAGES BECOME EASIER TO SEE WHEN THEY ARE BLOWN UP. SOME CLASSIFICATIONS IN THE SLIDESHOW MAY NOT BE OBVIOUS AT THE CURRENT MAGNITUDE

Ulnar Loop

CLASSIFYING AND COMPARING SIBLING FINGERPRINT PATTERNS

SIBLING GROUP 1 Plain Arch (1A) Plain Arch (1B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 1 (CONTINUED)Plain Arch (1A) Ulnar Loop (1C)

NO MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 1 (CONTINUED)Plain Arch (1B) Ulnar Loop (1C)

NO MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 3Plain Whorl (3A) Ulnar Loop (3B)

NO MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 3 (CONTINUED) Plain Whorl (3A) Ulnar Loop (3C)

NO MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 3 (CONTINUED) Ulnar Loop (3B) Ulnar Loop (3C)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 4Plain Whorl (4A) Plain Whorl (4B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 4 (CONTINUED)Plain Whorl (4A) Double Loop Whorl (4C)

NO MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 4 (CONTINUED)Plain Whorl (4B) Double Loop Whorl (4C)

NO MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 5Double Loop Whorl (5A) Double Loop Whorl (5B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 6Ulnar Loop (6A) Ulnar Loop (6B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 7Ulnar Loop (7A) Ulnar Loop (7B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 7 (CONTINUED)Ulnar Loop (7A) Ulnar Loop (7C)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 7 (CONTINUED)Ulnar Loop (7B) Ulnar Loop (7C)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 8Plain Whorl (8A) Plain Whorl (8B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 11 Ulnar Loop (11A) Ulnar Loop (11B)

MATCH!

SIBLING GROUP 9Plain Whorl (9A) Double Loop Whorl (9B)

NO MATCH!

RESULTS

THE PATTERNS SEEN IN PARTICIPANTS:

70% OF SIBLING PAIRS MATCHED!

ONLY 33% MATCHED WHEN RANDOMLY PAIRED!

FINGERPRINT PATTERNS ARE INHERITED GENETICALLY!