The myth of Fingerprints
True or False: Fingerprints, as we are discussing in class this week, are an exact science. (note that we use "fingerprints" here, but really they are just ridges - the prints are what they leave behind)Questions to research for Friday's (10/12/07) Class:
Write a response of at least one paragraph answering ONE of the following questions (be sure to cite your sources, not that wikipedia is not an acceptable source):
- - Does every person have fingerprints?
- Is it possible for two people to have the same fingerprints?
- Do identical twins have identical fingerprints?
- Does EVERYONE have fingerprints?
- Can fingerprints be removed? If you burn your fingers, will the prints grow back?
- Is everyone BORN with fingerprints?
- TV Crime shows have programs that automatically scan a fingerprint and get a confirmation in minutes - how come we don't catrch more criminals this way?
Last year class (& blog) discussed the arrest of an Oregon lawyer in connection with a train bombing in Spain. Here's a summary of the incident.
posted by Mr. Barkan @ 10:50 AM
3 Comments:
Well unfortuately it is not an exact science, fingerprinting that is. Fingerprints are matched on five (is it five?) or more spots. If those spots match up the prints are a match. There is a mean number of spots, but the amount is usually up to the fingerprint examiner, some use more some less.
-John
Identical twins have different (phenotypes), meaning that the same DNA is expressed in different ways . A DNA test can't tell the between identical twins, but a fingerprint can.
However, fingerprints are not an entirely genetic characteristic." Scientists love to use this topic as an example of the old "nature vs. nurture" debate." Fingerprinting, physical characteristics, are examples of a phenotype --" meaning that it is determined by the interaction of an indivdual's genes and the developmental environment in the uterus."
(http://ask.yahoo.com/20010213.html
Fingerprints are believed to be shaped by environmental factors during pregnancy, like nutrition, blood pressure, position in the womb and the growth rate of the fingers. Similar partterns of whorls and ridges can be found as the fingerprints of identical twins.
Manpreet Kaur
John,
According to Dr. Zakaria Erzinçlioglu’s book, “The Illustrated Guide to Forensics: True Crime Scene Investigations”, there is no worldwide standard for the minimum number of points required to verify a match. In Britain, sixteen points are required. In Paris, seventeen points are needed, though the rest of France only requires twelve. New Zealand and Australia also need only twelve points. The United States does things a little differently; a fingerprint analyst will use his experience to determine if the print is a match, and will then locate 16 points that will be included in their final report.
I hope this helps.
Christopher Ehlert
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