Research in dermatoglyphics having direct interest and application to anthropology has continued to grow since the turn of the century. Anthropological dermatoglyphics can offer important perspectives in viewing the nature and significance of human variation. Several forefronts of ongoing research are reviewed. First, methodology continues to improve definition and classification of variables. A second line of inquiry deals with hereditary aspects. Inheritance models, both monogenic and polygenic, have been proposed. Single locus systems seem to have limited application, as in the transmission of triradial excess or deficiency illustrated by the missing c triradius. Polygenic inheritance has been demonstrated in quantitative phenotypic expressions exemplified by the total finger ridge-count. Exciting recent research employing the “field concept” has discovered a small number of developmental factors which correspond well with earlier findings on volar pad development and dermatoglyphic features. Maternal and other environmental effects have been shown to operate on dermatoglyphic expression. Human population studies using dermatoglyphics began with early racial descriptions and currently utilize multivariate procedures for detecting evolutionary processes. Congruence testing between dermatoglyphics and other biological distance measures is also an active endeavor. In this connection, dermatoglyphic variable selection has become important in recognizing that different variables might well be useful in micro- and macroevolutionary situations. Finally, dermatoglyphic analysis has. been applied to primate studies. Although this area has not kept pace with human studies, primate work has been crucial for the important matters of taxonomic assessment and functional dermatoglyphics.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ajpa.1330230509

Anthropological dermatoglyphics: A review†

Digital flexion creases on the second to fifth fingers were studied for 203 male and 201 female Japanese, using a simplified classification scheme. The distal interphalangeal areas of the four fingers and the proximal ones of the second and fifth digits are characterized by a small number of creases. Higher numbers of creases were observed most on the proximal interphalangeal areas. The metacarpo-phalangeal area and the proximal phalanx of the third finger showed the largest number of creases located apart from the common position of flexion creases (extra creases). Extra+ creases lying approximately in the middle of the phalanx were rare and, in most cases, restricted to the middle phalanges. Generally, lower numbers of creases appear more frequently in males. Triplets, or crease form combinations of the.three areas of one digit, are presented in the order of frequency. The general tendencies observed by comparing the two sexes and the two sides were similar in the Japanese and Viennese samples, although lower numbered creases were more frequently observed on some digital areas of Japanese.

Digital Flexion Creases in Japanese

Dermatoglyphic data have long been recognized as valuable genetic markers both in the study of population relationships as well as in clinical studies. Because of their inherent advantages over other biological markers, dermatoglyphics have been utilized by investigators from a number of different scientific disciplines. Many of these investigators have no expertise and very little training in collecting, evaluating and analyzing dermatoglyphics. As a result, many valuable dermatoglyphics data sets, collected from population isolates and from patients with various diseases have been proven worthless because of unsatisfactory or inappropriate recording and scoring techniques.

Dermatoglyphic Recording and Scoring Techniques

The volar transverse creases of the second to fifth fingers have been shown to be genetically influenced and not caused primarily by embryonic flexion movements.  The presence of extra, displaced and missing volar digital transverse creases in individuals with normal joint anatomy may reveal abnormalities. This study aims at documenting the prevalence patterns of volar digital transverse creases of digits II-V in the normal Nigerian hands. Volar digital transverse creases of the digits II-V of 303 male and 168 female Nigerians were studied using palm prints obtained by ink method. Single crease (M) had highest frequency in the distal crease, followed by proximal crease and then middle crease. Double crease (D) frequency was highest in the middle phalanx, followed by proximal crease and then distal crease. Triple (T) frequency was highest in the middle phalanx; it was not common in the proximal and distal phalanx. Frequency of E and E + creases were common in the middle phalanx, followed by distal phalanx and less common in the proximal phalanx. No differences exist between male and female digital creases of Nigerians, there is reduced frequency of the crease types T, E and E + in all the fingers of male and female, and the male fingers II-IV showed absent E and E + in the proximal phalanx. Keywords: Digital, Transverse, Creases, Nigerians.

/pdf/volar-digital-transverse-creases-of-the-nigerians-376er0czp4.pdf

Volar Digital Transverse Creases of the Nigerians

Using a special method, the dermatoglyphics of the plantar interdigital areas of 86 monozygotic and 76 dizygotic Polish twin pairs were obtained. The frequencies of different types of zygodactylous triradii were estimated using a recently published new scheme of classification. The second, third, and fourth interdigital areas were grouped together. The findings indicate a high heritability which suggest that zygodactylous triradii might be used as a valuable genetic marker.

/pdf/variability-of-plantar-zygodactylous-triradii-in-monozygotic-3h661fcvcb.pdf

Variability of plantar zygodactylous triradii in monozygotic and dizygotic twins.

Magna brush technique in dermatoglyphic research.

Taking into consideration the methods of Cummins and Sicomo ('23), Cummins and Midlo ('43) and Penrose and Loesch ('69) a new classification scheme of plantar zygodactylous triradii has been introduced, differentiating three expression types, i.e., strong, medium and weak.



On the basis of plantar prints of 500 ♂ Viennese the frequencies of these expression types were established. Furthermore their relations to the pattern types located proximally were studied. It resulted that certain pattern types are always and others never associated with a zygodactylous triradius.



Therefore it is possible to predict the existence of a zygodactylous triradius non visible on the print if the corresponding pattern type is known.

Gertrud Aue-Hauser

Papers

Magna brush technique in dermatoglyphic research.

Plantar zygodactylous triradii and corresponding patterns