DACTYLOSCOPY

ESCABEL, MARY GRACE G

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 TYPELINES

Lines A and B, which have

been emphasized in this
sketch, are the type lines,
starting parallel, diverging
at the line C and
surrounding the pattern
area,

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 TYPELINES

Type lines are not always two

continuous ridges. In fact, they are more
often found to be broken. When there is
a definite break in a type line, the ridge
immediately outside of it is considered
as its continuation

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 TYPELINES
• Sometimes type lines
may be very short.

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 TYPELINES
• When locating type lines it is
necessary to keep in mind the
distinction between a
divergence and a bifurcation

• The two forks of a bifurcation

may never constitute type
lines. The exception is when
the forks run parallel after
bifurcating and then diverge.
In such a case the two forks
become the two innermost
ridges required by the
definition.
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 TYPELINES

A-A are type lines even

though they proceed from a
bifurcation.

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• A—A are not the type lines
because the forks of the
bifurcation do not run parallel
with each other. Instead, the
ridges marked "T" are the type
lines.
•

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 TYPELINES
• Angles are never formed by a
single ridge but by the
abutting of one ridge against
another. Therefore, an
angular formation cannot be
used as a type line.

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 DELTA
The first ridge or part of a ridge nearest the point of divergence of the two type lines. If the dot
were not present, point B on ridge C, as shown in the figure, would be considered as the delta.

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The heavy lines A—A and B—B are type lines with the delta
at point

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The delta may not be located at a When there is a choice between a
bifurcation which does not open bifurcation and another type of delta,
toward the core. the bifurcation is selected.

he bifurcation at E is closer to the core The dot, A, and the bifurcation are equally
than the bifurcation at D. However, E is close to the divergence of the type lines,
not immediately in front of the divergence but the bifurcation is selected as the
of the type lines and it does not open delta.
toward the core.

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• When there are two or more possible deltas which conform
to the definition, the one nearest the core is chosen.
• The delta may not be located in the middle of a ridge
running between the type lines toward the core, but at the
nearer end only.

– The location of the delta in this case depends entirely upon the point of
origin of the ridge running between the type lines toward the core. If the
ridge is entirely within the pattern area, the delta is located at the end
nearer the point of divergence of the type lines.

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 If the ridge enters the pattern area from a point below
the divergence of the type lines, however, the delta must
be located at the end nearer the core.

The dot cannot be the delta because line D cannot be

considered as a type line. It does not run parallel to type
line A—A at any point. The same reason prevents line E
from being a type line.

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CORE
• The core is placed upon or within the innermost sufficient recurve.

• ● When the innermost sufficient recurve contains no ending ridge or rod rising as high as
the shoulders of the loop, the core is placed on the shoulder of the loop farther from the
delta.

• ● When the innermost sufficient recurve contains an uneven number of rods rising as
high as the shoulders, the core is placed upon the end of the center rod whether it
touches the looping ridge or not.

• ● When the innermost sufficient recurve contains an even number of rods rising as high
as the shoulders, the core is placed upon the end of the farther one of the two center
rods, the two center rods being treated as though they were connected by a recurving
ridge.

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A recurve must have no appendage abutting upon it at a right angle between the shoulders
and on the outside. If such an appendage is present between the shoulders of a loop, that
loop is considered spoiled and the next loop outside will be considered to locate the core.

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 When the shoulder line X—X is drawn it is found to
cross exactly at the point of intersection of the two
loops. The two loops are considered one, with one rod,
the core being placed at C.

The shoulder line X—X is above the point of intersection

of the two loops. The two are considered as one, with two
rods, the core being at C.

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 The shoulder line X—X is below the point of intersection of
the loops. Again the two are treated as one, with two rods,
the core being placed at C.

The two are treated as one, with two rods, the core
being placed at C.

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LOOP

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THE LOOP
• A loop is that type of fingerprint pattern in which one or
more of the ridges enter on either side of the impression,
recurve, touch or pass an imaginary line drawn from the
delta to the core, and terminate or tend to terminate on or
toward the same side of the impression from whence such
ridge or ridges entered.

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Essentials of a loop
• A sufficient recurve.
• A sufficient recurve may be defined as that part of a
recurving ridge between the shoulders of a loop. It
must be free of any appendages abutting upon the
outside of the recurve at a right angle.
• A delta.
• A ridge count across a looping ridge.

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Appendages
• Much care must be exercised in interpreting appendages because
they sometimes change the shape of the recurving ridge to which
they are connected.
• For example, a loop with an appendage abutting upon its recurve
between the shoulders and at right angles with the recurve totally
destroyed.

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The same is true of a whorl
recurve.

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Radial and ulnar loops
• The terms "radial" and "ulnar" are derived from the radius and ulna
bones of the forearm. Loops which flow in the direction of the ulna
bone (toward the little finger) are called ulnar loops and those
which flow in the direction of the radius bone are called radial
loops.

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ARCH

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THE PLAIN ARCH
• In plain arches the ridges
enter on one side of the
impression and flow or tend
to flow out the other with a
rise or wave in the
center. The plain arch is the
most simple of all
fingerprint patterns, and it
is easily distinguished.

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The Tented Arch
 In the tented arch, most of the ridges enter upon
one side of the impression and flow or tend to
flow out upon the other side, as in the plain arch
type; however, the ridge or ridges at the center
do not. There are three types of tented arches:
 The type in which ridges at the center form a
definite angle; i.e., 90° or less.
 The type in which one or more ridges at the
center form an upthrust. An upthrust is an
ending ridge of any length rising at a sufficient
degree from the horizontal plane; i.e., 45° or
more.
 The type approaching the loop type, possessing
two of the basic or essential characteristics of
the loop, but lacking the third.

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 The ridge marked "A—A" in the sketch enters on one side
of the impression and flows to the other with an acute rise
in the center.
The ridges marked "D—D" would form a tented arch if the
rest of the pattern were absent.

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Another form of tented arch, the one which approaches the loop, may have any combination
of two of the three basic loop characteristics, lacking the third. These three loop
characteristics are, to repeat:
1. A sufficient recurve.
2. A delta.
3. A ridge count across a looping ridge.

These are tented arches having loop formations within

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the pattern area but with deltas upon the loops, by 31
reason of which it is impossible to secure a ridge
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WHORL

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The whorl is that type of pattern in which at least two deltas are present with a
recurve in front in each

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 PLAIN WHORL
The "plain whorl" consists of the simplest form of whorl construction
and is the most common of the whorl subdivisions. The plain whorl
has two deltas and at least one ridge making a complete circuit,
which may be spiral, oval, circular, or any variant of a circle. An
imaginary line drawn between the two deltas must touch or cross at
least one of the recurving ridges within the inner pattern area.
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The plain whorl has two deltas and at least one ridge making a complete circuit, which may
be spiral, oval, circular, or any variant of a circle. An imaginary line drawn between the two
deltas must touch or cross at least one of the recurving ridges within the inner pattern area.

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CENTRAL POCKET
LOOP

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The central pocket loop type of whorl has two deltas and at least one ridge making a
complete circuit, which may be spiral, oval, circular, or any variant of a circle. An imaginary
line drawn between the two deltas must not touch or cross any of the recurving ridges
within the inner pattern area.

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REMEMBER:
• If the whorls has two deltas and one or more recurve and
each recurve is spoiled by an appendage connected to it
at the point crossed by the line of flow, they are classified
as LOOP.

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 Double loop
The double loop consists of two separate loop
formations, with two separate and distinct sets of
shoulders, and two deltas..

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DOUBLE LOOP

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Accidental

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 Accidental
• The accidental whorl is a pattern consisting of a
combination of two different types of pattern, with the
exception of the plain arch, with two or more deltas;
• or a pattern which possesses some of the
requirements for two or more different types;
• or a pattern which conforms to none of the definitions.
• It may be a combination of
loop and tented arch,
loop and whorl,
loop and central pocket loop,
double loop and central pocket loop,
or other such combinations. loop with a tented arch.
• The plain arch is excluded as it is rather the absence
of pattern than a pattern.

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 WHORLS
TRACINGS

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6. If there are three or more ridges outside the right delta, the
tracing is an - O - OUTER.

7. If there are one or two ridges either inside or outside the right
delta, or if the tracing stops on the right delta itself, the tracing is
an - M - MEETING.

8. Do not count delta or tracing ridge. The tracing ridge is

the ridge where the tracing stopped opposite the right delta.

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THERE ARE THREE RIDGES OUTSIDE THE RIGHT DELTA- OUTER(O)

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 NO INTERVENING RIDGES - MEETING
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No matter how definite fingerprint rules and pattern definitions are
made, there will always be patterns concerning which there is doubt as
to the classification they should be given. The primary reason for this is
the fact that probably no two fingerprints will ever appear which are
exactly alike. Other reasons are differences in the degree of judgment
and interpretation of the individual classifying fingerprints, the
difference in the amount of pressure used by the person taking the
prints, and the amount or kind of ink used. Nothing can be done about
faulty inking or pressure once the prints are taken. The patterns which
are questionable merely because they seem to have characteristics of
two or more types can be classified by strict adherence to the
definitions in deducing a preference. The following section is devoted
to such patterns with an explanation of each.

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