Variabilídad biológica de los puntos característicos en las impresiones dactilares de la población españolasu aplicación en Antropología Forense

Resum

The minutiae, a term coined by Galton to refer to the small peculiarities present in every isolated crest along its length, or characteristic points, a term which is used primarily by the Spanish Scientific Police, have an ínter- and intrapopulatíon variability which has not been studied too much. However, these peculiarities constitute the bases far the identification by means of fingerprints in the field of criminology. Using the method of adhesive paper and graphite, the fingerprints of 200 students, 100 males and 100 females, with ages between 20 and 25 years, have been taken at the University of Alcala (Madrid). The distal phalanx of the thumb and index fingers of the right hand have been studied from this sample. The total count of the characteristic points, as well as that of each of its type, was made in all the area of print, and in and out of a circle of 18 crests by radius. The highest frequencies were shown by the end, followed by forks and joins, the rest showing frequencies lower than 5%. The distribution of the characteristic points was not homogeneous in the area of the fingerprint (in and out of the circle). Differences statistically significant have been found for the study of characteristic points between the sexes, and among the different types of the main figure (arches, loops, and whorls).