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Topological Variability of Fingerprint Ridge Density in a Sub‐Saharan Population Sample for Application in Personal Identification
Author(s) -
GutiérrezRedomero Esperanza,
Quirós Juan A.,
Rivaldería Noemí,
Alonso María C.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/1556-4029.12092
Subject(s) - ridge , fingerprint (computing) , sample (material) , population , similarity (geometry) , anatomy , geography , demography , biology , cartography , artificial intelligence , computer science , physics , sociology , thermodynamics , image (mathematics)
Variability in ridge density in a sub‐ S aharan population sample was studied by counting ridges in three fingerprint areas (two distal regions, radial and ulnar, and one proximal region) on the epidermal surface of the distal phalanx. Study material was obtained from the fingerprint impressions of 100 male sub‐ S aharan subjects aged between 18‐ and 48‐years old. The results were compared with those obtained from a S panish population sample. Sub‐ S aharan males presented lower ridge density than S panish males in the distal regions (radial and ulnar) of all fingers, whereas differences in the proximal region were only observed on some fingers. Using the differences observed between these populations, the likelihood ratio for inferring membership of one of the populations from a fingerprint of unknown origin was calculated; therefore, a ridge density of 14 or less for both areas (ulnar and radial), support an origin sub‐ S aharan versus S panish population.