Fingerprints have been used for identification purposes since ancient times. In the late 19th century, scientists like Henry Faulds and Francis Galton established fingerprint classification systems and their use in criminal identification. Fingerprint databases and the automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) now allow for electronic fingerprint matching. Fingerprints are unique to each individual and remain unchanged throughout life, making them a reliable biometric identifier.

2. Ancient history1000 BC;
archaeological evidence of
ancient Chinese and Babylonian
civilizations using fingerprints to
sign legal documents.
1880; Dr. Henry Faulds
suggesting the use of fingerprints
for identification purposes.
1892; scientist Sir Francis Galton
laid out a classification method of
fingerprints.

3. 1892 - Juan Vucetich made the first criminal
fingerprint identification.
 1897; Sir Edward Henry proposed a modified
classification system by using fingerprints.
1901; First use of fingerprints in the USA by the New
York City Service Commission.
1908 – The first official fingerprint card was
developed
1980 – First computer data base of fingerprints was
developed, known as the Automated Fingerprint
Identification System, (AFIS).

4. • The skin on the palmer side of the finger tips
contain dermatoglyphic patterns comprising the
ridges and valleys
• The interface between the epidermal and dermal
layers of skin is an undulating layer made of
multiple protrusion of the dermis into the epidermis
known as dermal papillae, this papillae follow the
shape of the surface dermatoglyphic patterns and
represent an internal fingerprint in the same form
of as the external pattern.

6. Humans are not the only ones with fingerprints! Some
primates, including gorillas and chimpanzees, and koala
bears have their own unique prints.
The Koala has fingerprints that are so similar to the human
fingerprint that it is almost impossible to tell them apart
because of the pattern, shape and size of the ridges.

7. 1-Koala Bear 2-Human 3-
Chimpanzee

8. No two fingers with identical ridge
characteristics , not even twins
Remains unchanged during an
individual’s lifetime
General ridge patterns that permit
systematic classification.

10. why fingerprints are used for identification purposes?
Ridge patterns and the details in small areas of
friction ridges are unique and never repeated.
 Friction ridges develop on the fetus in their
definitive form before birth and formed from 6th -
13th weeks of development.
Ridges are persistent throughout life except for
permanent scarring.
Friction ridge patterns vary within limits which
allow for classification
Fingerprints have general characteristic ridge
patterns that allow them to be systematically

12. Based on the Henry Classification System
The Arch
The Arch pattern is made up of
ridges lying one above the other in a
general arching formation.

13. The Tented Arch
The tented arch pattern consists of at least one upthrusting
ridge, which tends to bisect superior ridges at right
angles, more or less.

14. The Loop (Ulnar or Radial)

15. The loop pattern consists of one or more free recurving ridges
and one delta.
In order to distinguish between ulnar and radial loops you must:
1) know from which hand the loop pattern comes from and;
2) place your hand palm side down over top of the impression
and determine if the recurving ridges originate from the little
finger side or the thumb side.
If the ridges flow in from the little finger side this would be an
'ulnar' loop. If the ridges flow in from the thumb side this would
be a 'radial' loop.

17. The Twinned Loop
In the twinned loop pattern, the recurving ridges present two loop
formations, separate and apart. There are two points of delta. The
flows for the deltas originate from the same side of the pattern.

18. The Whorl
The whorl pattern consists of one or more free recurving ridges and two points of
delta. When the line of the fingerprint disc is placed on the two points of delta, it will
bisect at least one of the ridges belonging to the core group.

19. The Central Pocket Loop
The central pocket loop pattern consists of one or more free recurving ridges and
two points of delta. When the line of the fingerprint disc is placed on the two
points of delta, it will fail to bisect any of the ridges belonging to the core group

20. The Lateral Pocket Loop
In the lateral pocket loop pattern, the recurving ridges present two loop
formations, separate and apart. There are two points of delta. The flows for the
deltas originate from the same side of the pattern.

21. The Composite
The composite pattern is composed of two or more
different patterns, separate and apart exclusive of the arch

22. The Accidental
The accidental pattern will contain two points of delta. One delta will
be related to a recurve and the other will be related to an upthrust.

24. Three basic types of finger prints distinguished by Galton

25. Percentages of the different types of fingerprints
Arches: 5%
Whorls: 35%
Loops: 60%

26. Automated Fingerprint Identification System(AFIS)
is a computerized system capable of
reading, classifying, matching, and storing fingerprints for criminal
justice agencies.
which are used to find possible matches with fingerprints in the
database.

29. Latent Prints
Latent prints: Impressions left by friction
ridge skin on a surface, such as a tool
handle, glass, door, etc.
Prints may be collected by revealing them
with a dusting of black powder and then
lifted with a piece of clear tape.
Some investigators use fluorescent powder
and UV lights to help them find latent prints
on multi-colored or dark surfaces.
Magnetic powder can also be used to reveal
latent prints and works on shiny surfaces or
plastic baggies or containers.
Ninhydrin is a chemical that bonds with the
amino acids in fingerprints and will produce
a blue or purple color. It works well on
paper or cardboard surfaces.

31. Affect of skin diseases on fingerprints
Fingerprints with atopic eczema (different people).

32. Normal Fingertip eczema

33. Fingerprint with warts (verruca vulgaris).
Fingerprints with psoriasis (different people).

34. Age
When a person gets older the friction ridges are
get less visible.

35. Sex differences in 'minutiae'
In 2010 a Thai study revealed
that ridge irregulaties (e.g.
ridge dots, short ridges, ridge
spurs) are generally more
common in the fingerprints of
males (compared to females).
Bifurcations are seen in all
subjects (all males & all
females).

41. Police officer dusting fingerprints, at a crime scene

42. Police creating a record of an individual’s fingerprints

47. o Evaluation of Fingerprint Recognition Technologies –
BioFinger, Public Final Report, version 1.1, 2004
Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, p.
122.
o Drahanský, M.: Fingerprint Recognition Technology –
Liveness Detection, Image Quality and
SkinDiseases, Habilitation thesis, FIT-BUT, 2009, p.
153.
o Fingerprinting book, 2005, 2004, 2002, 1993 by David
A. Katz.
o B. G. Sherlock and D. M. Monro, A model for
interpreting ngerprint topology, 7, Pattern Recognition
26 (1993), 1047-1055.

48. o International Journal of Bio-Science and Bio-
Technology Vol. 2, No. 4, December, 2010,
Fingerprint Recognition Influenced by Skin Diseases.
o http://www.handresearch.com/news/fingerprints-
world-map-whorls-loops-arches.htm
o http://www.dkfz.de/tbi/projects/bmcv/images/iu_it246_
04s_fingerprint1.jpg
o http://www.crimesceneforensics.com/History_of_Fingerprints.h
tml
o http://www.odec.ca/projects/2004/fren4j0/public_html/fingerpri
nt_patterns.htm
o http://safety-identification-products.com/fingerprint-
information.html