Fingerprint-Based Prediction of Gender: An Important tool in Criminal Investigation

Abstract

Fingerprinting is considered as the most reliable evidence of identification. The aim of this study is to determine fingerprint patterns and predict gender from them. This will serve as an important aid in forensic identification at the site of crime. This is a prospective study conducted on 298 medical students of Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Lucknow. Fingerprints of all participating individuals were obtained in a predesigned proforma on an unglazed white bond paper and were analyzed for their relationship with gender. The most common fingerprint pattern was loops (39.6%), followed by whorls (33.7%), arches (25.2%) and composite (1.5%). Separately, in males, the most common fingerprints pattern was loops (39.6%), followed by whorls (37.4%), arches (22%) and composite (1%), but in females, though loops (39.7%) were the commonest fingerprint pattern, arches (31.2%) were more predominant than whorls (26.9%) followed by composite (2.2%). Incidences of individual fingerprint patterns were varied in different sexes. Frequency of loops, arches, and composite was found to be higher in females and whorls were higher in males. Males show predominance of loops, whorls and arches in left middle finger (6.9%), right ring finger (6.5%) and right thumb (4%) respectively. And composite was present in equal numbers in left thumb, left middle, and left little fingers (0.2% each). In females, maximum number of loops, whorls, arches and composite was found in left little finger (6.4%), right ring finger (5%), right little finger (5.2%) and right thumb (0.5%) respectively.