1. Chapter 14: FINGERPRINTS

2. History of Fingerprints

3. HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING
Chinese used fingerprints to sign legal documents as far back as three thousand years ago
William Herschel, an English civil servant (India), required natives to sign contracts with an imprint of their right hand

4. HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING
The first systematic attempt at personal identification was devised and introduced by the French police expert, Alphonse Bertillon, in 1883.
Bertillon’s System relied on:
Detailed description of the individual
Full length and profile photographs
Anthropometry – A system of precise body measurements

5. ANTHROPOMETRY
Based upon the premise that the dimensions of the human skeletal system remained fixed from age 20 until death
Eleven (11) measurements taken - to include height, width of head & length of left foot

6. HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING
In 1880, Scottish physician, Henry Fauld wrote that skin ridge patterns could be important in identification work

7. HISTORY OF FINGERPRINTING
Fauld offered to set up a system of fingerprints at Scotland Yard (at his own expense)
Rejected in favor of the Bertillon System
This decision reversed less than two decades later

8. The Controversy Begins
In 1880, Fauld wrote to Charles Darwin, explained his system for classifying fingerprints and asked for Darwin’s help in developing the system
Darwin was unable to help Dr. Fauld, but forwarded the letter to his cousin Fancis Galton

9. The Controversy Continued
It is unclear if Fauld and Galton ever corresponded, but both developed very similar systems.
Galton received credit for the system. Fauld believed that there was a conspiracy against him and he died a very bitter man.
In 2007 a plaque acknowledging Fauld’s contribution was erected next to his grave.

10. FRANCIS GALTON In 1892, published the classic work Finger Prints
In this book he discussed the anatomy of fingerprints and suggested methods for recording them
Proposed three pattern types: loops, whorls and arches

11. FRANCIS GALTON “Father of Fingerprinting
No two prints are identical
An individual’s prints remain unchanged from one year to the next

12. SIR EDWARD HENRY Englishman
In 1897, proposed a 5 pattern classification system
It was adopted by Scotland Yard and is presenly used in most English speaking countries

13. In the United States
1901 – First systematic use of fingerprints adopted by the New York Civil Service Commission
1904 – American police received training in fingerprint techniques from Scotland Yards representatives
1924 – Fingerprint records from the Bureau of Investigation and Leavenworth merged to form records for the new FBI

14. PHYSIOLOGY OF FINGERPRINTS

15. Dactyloscopy is the study of fingerprints.

16. SKIN COMPOSED OF LAYERS OF CELLS EPIDERMIS - OUTER
DERMIS - INNER LAYER
DERMAL PAPILLAE -
IN BETWEEN

17. Fingerprints are friction skin ridges found on the palm side of the fingers and thumbs.
These skin ridges are shaped by the dermal papillae, a boundary of cells separating the epidermis from the dermis.

18. Baby At 12 Weeks Old
                                                       
Baby At 12 Weeks Old
                                                       
Baby At 12 Weeks Old
                                                       
When do the ridges form? In the womb approximately 10.5 weeks estimated gestational age. It is thought that the movement of the fetus is what contributes to the unique ridge characteristics.
At only 10 weeks your babies heart is almost completely developed. An opening at the atruim of the heart and the presence of a bypass valve divert much of the blood away from the lungs, Your baby's blood is oxygenated through the placenta and the bypass valve of his heart directs most of his blood away from the lungs (this is automatically reversed when your child is born). Your babies teeth are now forming in the gums. By now his vocal chords are complete. Your baby can now even suck his thumb! The brain is fully formed, and your child can feel pain.
This animation represents the currently accepted theory that localized cellular proliferations grow together into what subsequently appear as ridges at the epidermal / dermal junction at approximately 10.5 weeks estimated gestational age.