Lesson 3

History, Classification of Fingerprints & Visual Acuity

Known Print

Prints from a known source - exemplars, ten-print / fingerprint cards, palm print cards & major case prints

Latent Print

A print from an unknown source - chance impression, not always visible, usually consist of natural sweat / oils

Plastic Print

Impression deposited in a material that retains the 3D shape of the ridge detail

ex. Wax, putty, grease

Patent Print

Impression obvious to the human eye - caused by transfer of foreign material on the finger to a surface

ex. blood, paint

Plain Arch - AA

Ridges enter on one side and flow out the other with a rise in the middle

Tented Arch - TT

Ridges enter on one side and flow out the other with an up thrust in the middle

Right Slant Loop - RS

Ridges enter from the right side, recurve around the core, and exit toward the same side

• Right Slant Loops on the right hand are Ulnar Loops (UL)

• Right Slant Loops on the left hand are Radial Loops (RL)

Loops are defined as a pattern which has sufficient recurve, a delta and ridge count

Left Slant Loop - LS

Ridges enter from the left side, recurve around the core, and exit toward the same side

• Left Slant Loops on the left hand are Ulnar Loops (UL)

• Left Slant Loops on the right hand are Radial Loops (RL)

Loops are defined as a pattern which has sufficient recurve, a delta and ridge count

Plain Whorl - PW

• 2 deltas & at least one ridge making a complete circuit

• An imaginary line drawn between the deltas must touch / cross at least one of the recurving ridges within the pattern area

Whorls are defined as a pattern which has at least 2 deltas & a recurve in front of each delta

Central Pocket loop Whorl - CW

• 2 deltas & at least one ridge making a complete circuit

• An imaginary line drawn between the deltas must NOT touch / cross any of the recurving ridges within the patternS

Double Loop Whorl - DW

• 2 separate loop formations

• 2 separate & distinct sets of shoulders / recurves

• 2 deltas

Accidental Whorl - AW

• Pattern consisting of a combo of 2 different types of patterns with 2 or more deltas

OR

• Pattern which possesses some of the requirements for 2 or more different types

OR

• Pattern which conforms to none of the definitions

• ex. Loop + Tented Arch | Loop + Whorl

• Plain Arch = NOT possible pattern type

Thenar

• Half-moon ridge flow

• Long over short

• Vestige

• Cross-hatching

Interdigital

• Waterfall ridge flow - right or left

• Clean delta

• Snow cone deltas

• Side cone delta

Hypothenar

• Down & out ridge flow

• Outward nose loop

• Carpal delta

Distal Transverse Crease (TOP)

• Forms ~11 weeks EGA

Proximal Transverse Crease (MIDDLE)

• Forms ~13 weeks EGA

Radial Longitudinal Crease (BOTTOM)

• Forms ~8 weeks EGA

Distal Interphalangeal Crease (DIC)

• Forms ~9 weeks EGA

Palmar Digital Crease OR Metacarpophalangeal Crease (MCPC)

• Forms ~9 weeks EGA

Proximal Interphalangeal Crease (PIC)

• Forms ~10 / 18 weeks EGA

The thumb does NOT have this crease but can have up to 4 additional minor creases…

• Oblique crease

• Accessory crease

• Extra crease

  • Proximal Phalanx

  • Distal Phalanx

• Not everyone has all the same thumb creases

Henry Classification System

• Developed by Sir Edward Henry in 1896

• Modified versions till used today

• Primary classification system - based on whorls

  • 1/1 - All fingers have arches / loops

  • 32/32 - All fingers have whorls

NCIC

National Crime Information Center

• Created in 1967 as a centralized electronic criminal database

• Contains millions of records sorted into separate databases

• Includes NCIC fingerprint classification database

  • Alphanumeric

  • Pattern Specific

  • 20-character code

Dr. Nehemiah Grew

1st to describe & publish friction ridges in detail

Dr. Marcello Malpighi

• 1st to use the microscope to study skin

• Published article about FRS being used for traction during walking & grasping

• Layer of the skin named after him - Stratum Basale, Stratum Spinosum & Stratum Granulosum

Govard Bidloo

Published Anatomy of the Human Body & included a hand drawn image of the details of the skin

JCA Mayer

1st to write that FRS is unique

Thomas Bewick

Engraved his “mark” under impressions in his work

Dr. Johannes Purkinje

Classified fingerprints into 9 categories & gave each a name

Gilbert Thompson

1st known use of fingerprints in the USA

• Used his thumbprint on a document to prevent forgery

Thomas Taylor

Proposed that finger / palm prints left on objects could be used to solve crimes

• Impressions in wax

• Bloody hands

Sir William Hershel

• 1st European to recognize value of FRS & use it for identification purposes

• “Hoogley Letter” - explained permanence & uniqueness of FRS

• Printed himself to demonstrate permanence

Dr. Henry Faulds

1st to publish in a journal about the value of FRS for identification

• On the Skin Furrows of the Hand - included examples of greasy print on glass of spirits & sooty fingermarks on white wall

Alphonse Bertillon

1st scientific method of criminal identification

• Anthropometry (aka Bertillonage)

Sir Francis Galton

• Published Finger Prints

• 1st to define & name specific print minutiae - Galton details

Juan Vucetich

• 1st practical uses of fingerprint science by law enforcement

• Developed his own fingerprint classification system that did not catch on

• Trained Eduardo Alvarez - 1st criminal fingerprint ID during the Rojas Murders

Sir Edward Henry

Developed the Henry Classification System

Mark Twain

1st American writer to use fingerprints for solving crimes in his novels

Dr. Arthur Kollman

1st to identify the presence & location of the volar pads on the hands & feet

David Hepburn

1st to suggest that FRS helps with gripping & grasping

Harris Hawthorne Wilder

1st to suggest that the center of the ridge pattern is always where a volar pad exists

Henry de Forest

• Chief Medical Examiner in NYC

• 1st systematic use of fingerprints in the USA

• Printed civil service applicants to prevent imposters from taking tests

New York State Prison System

1st systematic use of fingerprints in the USA for the identification of criminals

John Ferrier

• Fingerprinted all inmates at Leavenworth prison

• Started the US Governments fingerprint collection

Inez Whipple

• Studied mammalian palm & sole configurations

• Ridge patterns are affected by internal & external forces on the fetus during development

Mary Holland

1st American woman instructor of fingerprinting

People v. Jennings

• Fingerprints 1st accepted by US courts

• Appellate courts agreed that fingerprint evidence is a science

People v. Crispi

1st conviction obtained with fingerprint evidence alone in the USA

Harry Caldwell

• Founded the International Association for Criminal Identification (IAI)

• IAI in 1915

Harold Cummins

• Dermatoglyphics - study of skin markings or patterns

• Author of Fingerprints, Palms & Soles

• Describes the formation & development of volar pads

Alfred Hale

• Studied cross sections of fetal skin

• Differential growth - plays major role in volar skin structure

Vision vs. Perception

Vision

• Ability to detect & interpret light

• Primary sense in humans

Perception

• Process of interpreting sensory info

• Combines past experiences, context & expectations

• Influences decisions & memory

Visual Acuity

The sharpness or clarity of vision

• Measured by the ability to distinguish fine details

Steps of Visual Processing

Light → Retina → Electrical Signals → Optic nerve → Visual cortex of brain

Limitations = color blindness, form blindness & depth / motion perception issues