Some fingerprint stuff…

Unusual prints “happy” whorl “groovy” whorl

Does this look like an elephant’s eye to you?

Artists interpretation of a Malcolm X fingerprint

Rarely are latent prints taken from a crime scence as “pure” or easy to read as inked prints unlike as depicted on T.V. crime shows. http://onin.com/fp/problemid ents.html#third_case

Psoriasis Named from the Greek word for “itch”, psoriasis is a persistent skin condition. The skin becomes inflamed, producing red, thickened areas with silvery scales, most often found on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back.

Fragmenting The center of the print is fragmenting

Scar Tissue A Scar on the finger interferes with print ridges, but creates a new unique print.

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

Animal fingerprints Humans are not the only animals with fingerprints! Some primates, including gorillas and chimpanzees, and koala bears have their own unique prints.

Gorillas have hands that are quite similar to human hands Gorillas have hands that are quite similar to human hands. They have five fingers (including an opposable thumb), and five toes (including an opposable big toe). Gorillas can grasp things with both their hands and their feet. They are capable of grasping these objects because they have ridges on their feet and hands that help them grip things. These ridges are formed in unique patterns and cause gorillas to have fingerprints of their own

The Koala has fingerprints so similar to human fingerprints The Koala has fingerprints so similar to human fingerprints. It is almost impossible to tell them apart because of the pattern, shape and size of the ridges. Under the microscope, the ridges look exactly the same. The width of the ridge, the shape, general size and pattern is the same. The main difference is that the entire human palm and fingers are covered with ridges while the koala only has ridges on its fingertips and some parts of the palm.

Which print belongs to a… human? chimpanzee? koala bear?

  1-Koala Bear        2-Human           3-Chimpanzee

Did you know? Wrinkly fingers and toes, or “pruning,” happens when your skin soaks up water. Our skin has a kind of waterproof oil on it called sebum. That's why water rolls right off your skin in the bath or shower. If you spend too much time in the water, the sebum washes away and you're not so waterproof anymore. Your skin soaks up the water causing it to swell in some places which makes it look wrinkly. This only happens on your toes and fingers because they lack hair. The hair follicles on the rest of your body keep making enough sebum so it doesn't wash away. The wrinkly skin isn't dangerous or permanent. After you get out of the water, it doesn't take long for your pruny fingers and toes to go back to normal.