Fingerprints can tell your ancestry!

A recent article on a research study of the finger prints of the index finger showed that finger prints are reliable as distinct markers for one’s ancestral lineage. The finger prints are analyzed at Level 1, 2 and 3. The study shows that Level 2 is distinct for lineages and different from one another. It showed that Level 2 prints of European Americans were same and distinct from the Level 2 prints of African Americans.

In Level 1 the orientation and general appearance of the ridges are observed. For example, the picture below shows left loop in the middle. The directions of the lines are observed in level 1.

The study says that there are no marked differences in Level 1 among the population and no differences between men and women. But this is observed in the index finger.

The Level 2 observation covers finer details of the lines of the ridges. The following figure shows the Level 2 observation.

(Pic courtesy: http://onin.com/fp/level123.html#level1)

Here the dots, the joints and ridges are analyzed.

The study says that this pattern is similar on certain accounts for lineages making it possible to identify whether one comes in African lineage or European lineage. This is with reference to index finger.

On coming to know of this study I thought that the scope of this study can be expanded to cover Thumb finger comparisons. According to Nadi ideology, there are 108 variations in the thumb finger prints when we combine both Level 1 and some feature of Level 2.  The common features of Level 1 are Chakra (whorl), Shanku (loop) and arch. They are read along with dots or joints at particular ridges of the Level 2 as identification for a person. They are distinct for men and women. It will be worthy to test this in studies of this kind for knowledge-expansion.

Though my knowledge of finger prints is limited, I have some knowledge on the distinct nature of palm lines, thanks to Cheiro’s defense of palmistry. The cells that make the palm lines are unique and not found anywhere else in the body. They have a connection with some energy flow or signal from the brain. Fresh changes in the palm lines occur as and when an event or a calamity or an emotional stress happens to the person.

Another observation is about handedness. The changes happen only in the right hand for right-handed people and in the left hand for the left-handed people. There is no gender difference in this. I have observed this in numerous people. This is in conflict with Nadi ideology of handedness in male and female. Perhaps it applies to finger print impressions. Studies of the kind reported below can give better understanding of this ancient knowledge.

*****************

Ancestral background can be determined by fingerprints

Author: Matt Shipman

 Source: North Carolina State University [September 28, 2015]
http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2015/09/ancestral-background-can-be-determined.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheArchaeologyNewsNetwork+%28The+Archaeology+News+Network%29#.VhUZvflViko

A proof-of-concept study finds that it is possible to identify an individual's ancestral background based on his or her fingerprint characteristics -- a discovery with significant applications for law enforcement and anthropological research.

{Anthropologists have looked at fingerprints for years, because they are interested  in human variation. But this research has looked at Level 1 details, such as pattern  types and ridge counts. Forensic fingerprint analysis, which is used in criminal  justice contexts, looks at Level 2 details – the more specific variations,  such as bifurcations, where a fingerprint ridge splits  [Credit: North Carolina State University]

"This is the first study to look at this issue at this level of detail, and the findings are extremely promising," says Ann Ross, a professor of anthropology at North Carolina State University and senior author of a paper describing the work. "But more work needs to be done. We need to look at a much larger sample size and evaluate individuals from more diverse ancestral backgrounds."

Anthropologists have looked at fingerprints for years, because they are interested in human variation. But this research has looked at Level 1 details, such as pattern types and ridge counts. Forensic fingerprint analysis, which is used in criminal justice contexts, looks at Level 2 details -- the more specific variations, such as bifurcations, where a fingerprint ridge splits.

For this study, researchers looked at Level 1 and Level 2 details of right index-finger fingerprints for 243 individuals: 61 African American women; 61 African American men; 61 European American women; and 60 European American men. The fingerprints were analyzed to determine whether there were patterns that were specific to either sex or ancestral background.

The researchers found no significant differences between men and women, but did find significant differences in the Level 2 details of fingerprints between people of European American and African American ancestry. "A lot of additional work needs to be done, but this holds promise for helping law enforcement," Ross says. "And it's particularly important given that, in 2009, the National Academy of Sciences called for more scientific rigor in forensic science -- singling out fingerprints in particular as an area that merited additional study.

 "This finding also tells us that there's a level of variation in fingerprints that is of interest to anthropologists, particularly in the area of global population structures -- we just need to start looking at the Level 2 fingerprint details," Ross says. The paper is published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.