Abstract
The tenacity of the fingerprint evidence for the identification of criminals has been well documented, but none of the research work so far focussed on unusual prints. Therefore, in the present study, we attempted to define rarely encountered fingerprints in a human population. Our purpose was to explore unusual pattern types on the finger balls and compare these with commonly occurring and classifiable pattern types. Furthermore, we discuss the occurrence of unusual fingerprints in both the sexes with reference to the finger digits. The study was conducted on 512 participants aged between 18 and 35 years from two ethnic groups of North India. A total of 5120 fingerprints from each digit of the 512 individuals were obtained. The fingerprints were analysed for the pattern types based on Henry’s classification. Patterns that did not fall in the prescribed category as per the definition of the published finger pattern types were identified as unusual fingerprints. We found an incidence of unusual prints of 0.21% and describe these based on a comparison with the general pattern types according to Henry’s classification. We describe eleven unusual fingerprint patterns, formulating categories that may aid in the individualisation process. The proposed new nomenclature of these unusual fingerprints may assist forensic scientists and fingerprint examiners in better understanding and labelling of similar patterns in forensic cases. Our research may also influence the general forensic science community and biological anthropologists in making population standards pertaining to different types of fingerprints in various population groups and their genetic and familial relationships.
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Data availability
The study is a part of a large PhD project, and the raw data is available with one of the authors (NB) who has been nominated as a guarantor for the work. NB accepts full responsibility for the work and/or the conduct of the study, had access to the data and controlled the decision to publish.
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14 February 2023
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-023-01839-8
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Funding
The present study was supported by the DST PURSE grant and UGC Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS II) awarded to the Department of Anthropology Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. The principal author was awarded a research fellowship by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India, for pursuing a doctoral research at the Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
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NB and KK conceived the idea of writing this paper on unusual fingerprint patterns. NB, KK and TK wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. NB collected the data, conducted the analysis and compiled the results. NB, KK and TK wrote and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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The ethical approval to conduct the present study was granted by the Panjab University Institutional Ethical vide letter no. PUIEC/2017/61/A-1/06/02, dated 17/11/2017. The participants were also explained about the purpose of the study before data collection.
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Communicated by: Matthias Waltert
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The paper was presented as a podium lecture at the 72nd American Academy of Forensic Sciences Annual Scientific Meeting, 17–22 February 2020, in Anaheim, California.
The original online version of this article was revised: Figure 2 caption was incorrect.
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Baryah, N., Krishan, K. & Kanchan, T. Unusual fingerprint patterns in humans: implications for forensic casework and fingerprint research. Sci Nat 110, 5 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-023-01834-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-023-01834-z