The Permanence of Friction Ridge Skin: A Comprehensive Review and New Results

Permanence

The unchanging presence and appearance of friction ridge arrangements and their attributes between recurring observations of the skin

Persistence

The operational concept of whether or not a pair of images displays sufficient similarity upon which to base an informed decision that they were made by the same finger, while acknowledging certain dissimilarities or distortions due to friction ridge physiology, image capture, matrix, substrate, and applied pressure

1

Level ___ detail was permanent and persistent.

2

Level ___ detail was persistent but not permanent.

3

Level ___ detail was neither permanent nor persistent.

Width

Ridge ____ was permanent and persistent.

Incipient

_____ ridges were neither permanent nor persistent.

Uniqueness

_____ refers to the fact that friction ridge skin is individual, not only from person to person, but from finger to finger for the same individual.

Pressure, matrix, substrate, image capture

Interpretations of impressions is complicated by effects of _____, _____, _____, and _____ _____.

Transfer fidelity

An important determinant of persistence is the _____ _____ of ridge detail from the finger to a substrate.

Transfer fidelity

The degree to which an impression captures fingerprint detail without adding extraneous information or losing information of the original

Permanence, persistence

In the mid-1990s, acknowledging that minor changes can occur in the skin over time, usage of the term _____ began to decline, gradually being replaced by _____.

Permanence, persistence

_____ connotes everlasting stability. _____ implies sustained existence of a trait but can allow slight change or a point in time when a change occurs.

Level 1 detail

What level of detail indicates pattern class and ridge flow?

Level 2 detail

What level of detail refers to the path, direction, and termination of specific ridges and minutiae, if present?

Level 3 detail

What level of detail refers to the minutest detail, including the size, shape, and relationship to one another of sweat pores and ridge edges?

Permanent

A feature will be deemed _____ if it appears in the same shape, size, and configuration relative to the overall pattern in two photographs from the same source. 

Persistent

A feature will be deemed _____ if it appears in two photos or impressions from the same source with sufficient correspondence to support an identification decision.

Transfer fidelity

The ability to determine the persistence of fingerprint details revealed in impressions depends on _____ _____ of the capture method.

Ground truth

A representational image that, subject to any limitations of its own, serves as a reference for comparison with other methods; it represents “definitive knowledge of the actual source of an impression”

Identification

The determination by an examiner that there are sufficient quality and quantity of detail in agreement to conclude that two friction ridge impressions (or photos) originated from the same source

Volar pads, primary ridges, genetic, epigenetic

The regression of ____ ____ and appearance of ____ ____, along with both ____ and ____ factors, influence the ultimate structure of each ridge and the arrangement of all ridges.

Creation, proliferation, association, migration

The inexorable regeneration of ridges with the same structure and configuration resides in cell ____, ____, ____, and ____.

Non-reproducible

Most fingerprint examiners consider pores (reproducible/non-reproducible).

Edgeoscopy

The morphological attributes of friction ridges

Decrease, increased

Ridge density tends to _____ with aging, correlated with _____ hand size.

Decreases, reduction

The number of eccrine glands _____ with age, resulting in a _____ in secretions.

45, 60, 28

In 2015, the rejection rate of fingerprints submitted to the FBI’s NGI system remained at approximately 1% up to age __ and steadily increased with age thereafter, especially after age __. At about age 80, the rate reached a peak of __%, then began to decline.

Flexion

_____ creases are strongly attached to the underlying dermal fascia.

Secondary

_____ creases are not permanent and may arise from several mechanisms, but all are manifested as white lines in impressions.

White lines

_____ _____ do not disrupt ridge flow and while they may be useful for orientation, are ignored in fingerprint examination.

Langer’s/cleavage lines

Natural separations in the network of collagen fibers of the reticular layer of the dermis

Image quality

For all recording techniques, ____ ____ was a key factor in the ability to assess permanence and persistence.

2

For level ___ detail, the small changes observed were only in appearance; there were no changes in the presence of new, or absence of existing, minutiae.

Short, long

Ridge edge shape, though permanent and persistent in the _____ term, was neither permanent nor persistent in the _____ term.