A Strong Partner for Sustainable Development

Module
in
FORC 102
Course Code

PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION
TECHNIQUES

College of Criminal Justice Education

BS in Criminology
 Module No. 2

THE FINGERPRINT AND

FINGERPRINT PATTERNS

2ND Semester AY 2020-2021

Aimee J. Goh
Course Instructor

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 Table of Contents

Cover 1
Module no. 2
Table of contents 3
Instruction to the Users 5
Introduction 6-7
Pre-test 8
Lesson 1. Nature of Fingerprints
Learning Outcomes 9
Time allotment 9
Discussion 9
Activities/Exercises 16
Evaluation/Post-test 20
Rubric for Scoring
Evaluation/Post-test

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 INSTRUCTION TO THE USER

This module would provide you an educational experience while

independently accomplishing the task at your own pace or time. It aims as
well to ensure that learning is unhampered by health and other challenges.

Reminders in using this module:

1. Keep this material neat and intact.

2. Answer the pretest first to measure what you know and what to be
learned about the topic discussed in this module.
3. Accomplish the activities and exercises as aids and reinforcement for a
better understanding of the lessons.
4. Answer the post-test to evaluate your learning.
5. Do not take pictures in any parts of this module nor post them to social
media platforms.
6. Value this module for your learning by heartily and honestly answering
and doing the exercises and activities. Time and effort were spent in the
preparation in order that learning will still continue amidst this Covid-
19 pandemic.
7. Observe health protocols: wear mask, sanitize and maintain physical
distancing.

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Welcome to Western Philippines University!

Shape your dreams with quality learning experience.

STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY!

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 INTRODUCTION

Overview

Forensic scientists have used fingerprints in criminal investigations as a means

of identification for centuries. Fingerprint identification is one of the most important
criminal investigation tools due to two features: their persistence and their
uniqueness.

A person’s fingerprints do not change over time. The friction ridges which
create fingerprints are formed while inside the womb and grow proportionally as the
baby grows. Permanent scarring is the only way a fingerprint can change.

In addition, fingerprints are unique to an individual. Even identical twins have

different fingerprints.

What does a Fingerprint Prove?

First, we know that fingers can be long or short, fat, or skinny. They are used
for scratching, for holding, for caressing, and for feeling. They are also sensitive to heat
and cold. They belong to the rich, the poor, the talented and the beggar. When given
in a handshake, they symbolize friendship.

Fingers are also used in the commission of crimes, and now, instead of being
used as listed above, they become instruments to kill, burglarize, thieve, burn and rob.
Nonetheless, they all leave their own calling card in the form of a print. For years,
investigators knew of the print, but never knew how to use them because they all
looked the same to the unskilled observer.

This module discusses the nature and concept of fingerprints. It will educate
the learners on what is fingerprint and its component parts, the various characteristics
that is unique and gives its identity, the different fingerprint patterns according to its
group. It will also point out to learners the different focal points and how to identify
these points including how to conduct counting and tracing of ridges in preparation of
the fingerprint classification which will be tackled in the succeeding lessons.

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 CHAPTER II

INTRODUCTION

The Supreme Court of California in a 1946 ruling stated, “fingerprints are the
strongest evidence to prove the identity of a person”. Fingerprints are considered to be
a direct evidence, and are the best evidence which can be used in those cases where
positive identification is necessary.

The fingerprint proves that the person to whom the print belongs was at the
location where the print was found. A fingerprint expert will testify in court that he
lifted the print from a certain location. He will also testify regarding any comparison
he has made and the opinion he has reached. From this point on, jt is the responsibility
of the defense to explain how the print in question happened to be where it was found.
That is why, in many cases, the defense will stipulate to the testimony of the fingerprint
expert.

The fingers, palms of the hands, toes, and the soles of the feet are covered with
tiny lines known as friction ridges. These ridges create friction and make it easier for
us to hold small objects. These ridges appear on the fetus between 100 and 120 days
after conception. They are one of the first forms of life that the human body takes on
before birth, and one of the last to disappear after death. There is no change in these
ridges throughout life, except for normal growth and permanent scarring. Criminals
have made many attempts to change their fingerprint classification. However, none
have been successful.

“The dead cannot cry out for justice, it is the duty of the living to do so for them.”

- Lois MeMaster Bujold

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 What Do You Know About
Fingerprints?

Test your general knowledge of the subject matter. Please

answer the following tests without reading the discussion.

Instruction: Answer the following question as brief as possible.

1. What are Fingerprints?

2. What make fingerprints unique?
3. What is in your hand? Give its purpose.

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 Lesson 1. Nature of Fingerprints

A. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the lesson, the students can:

1. explain what is fingerprint;
2. explain and illustrate the composition and structure of skin;
3. identify the sweat glands responsible for fingerprint impression; and
4. explain the principle of fingerprint science.

B. TIME ALLOTMENT
One and a half (1.5) hours

C. DISCUSSION

The Skin

Generally, Fingerprints are found in human skin. Skin is the body’s largest
organ. It is called organ because it consists of several types of tissues that function
together. Most skin are generally smooth with tiny hair growing. Friction skin,
however, is an epidermal hairless skin usually found in the palms and soles. This is
where fingerprints are formed. It is called “friction” Because of their biological
function to assist in our ability to grasp and hold into objects.

Friction skin is made up of ridges that run parallel to each other. These ridges
are known as friction ridges, epidermal ridges, or papillary ridges. In between these
ridges are furrows. The ridges will eventually form during the third to fourth month of
pregnancy and will continue to exist until the skin decomposes due to death.

Fingerprint, Fingerprinting Defined

What is Fingerprints?

As a SCIENCE

-is the identification of a person by means of the ridges appearing in the fingers,
on the palms and on the soles of the feet.

As an IMPRESSION

- is the reproduction on some smooth

surface of the pattern or design formed by the
ridges on the inside of the end joint of the

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fingers and thumb, through the medium of ink or any coloring substance capable of
producing visibility.

Fingerprint is the distinctive ridge

outline which appears on the bulb of the
fingers.

Friction Skin is the epidermal hairless skin found on the lower surface of the hands
and feet covered with minute ridges, furrows and without pigment and coloring
matters.

Ninety-five percent (95%) of the body's skin is smooth and relatively.

featureless, apart from hairs, pores, and creases. The remaining five percent (5%)
covering the palms of the hands and soles of the feet is markedly different. These areas
although often creased and containing many pores are completely hairless and covered
by numerous small lines formed by the ridges of the skin and their consequent furrows.

Component of Friction Skin

1. Ridge Surface – friction skin that actually forms the fingerprint impression.

* Ridges
Are tiny elevation or hill like structures found on
epidermis layer of the skin containing the sweat pores.

* Furrows
Are the canal like structure or depression found between
the ridges which maybe compare with the low tread in a tire
thread.

Lines in the skin that are higher than the surface are termed
ridges. Nature designed these friction ridges for grip.

They are not always the same length, and are not always going in
the same direction.

Black lines are the ridges

and white lines (space) in between
the black lines are called furrows.

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 2. Sweat Pores- a small opening found anywhere across the ridge surface but is
usually found near the center.

3. Sweat Duct – is a long host like structure that serves as the passage way for
the sweat that exits at its mouth, the pore.

4. Sweat Glands – found in the dermis layer of the skin which is responsible for
the production of sweat.

KINDS OF SWEAT GLANDS

1. ECCRINE GLANDS- these

are found in all parts of the body
and are the only sweat glands
found on the palms of the hands
and the soles of the feet.
2. APOCRINE GLANDS- those
are found in the pubic,
mammary and anal areas.
3. SEBACEOUS GLANDS-
these are located on the
forehead, chest and abdomen
with an oily secretion called
sebum

LAYERS OF HUMAN SKIN

1. Epidermal/epidermis layer is the outer covering of the skin. Its layers are
the following:
a. Stratum Corneum/corneus
layer is the outer layer of the
epidermis layer of the skin.
b. Stratum
Mucosum/transparent layer is
the layer immediately beneath the
covering layer.
c. Stratum lucidum/granucar
layer is present in thick skin such
as in lips, soles of feet and palms of
hands where little or no cell is
visible.
d. Stratum granulosum consists of
3-4 layers of cell thick, consisting of
©discover.hubpages.com
flattened keratinocytes. At this
level, the cells are dying.
e. Stratum spinosum/Malpighian layer consists of keratinocytes
which is referred to as living layer which fight infections in the body.
f. Stratum Basale/generating layer is a single layer of cells which is in
contact with the basement membrane. These cells are mitotically active,
alive and reproducing.

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 2. Dermis or true skin is the inner layer of the skin containing blood vessels,
arrector pili muscles sebaceous glands, sweat glands and nerves.

DERMAL PAPILLAE- are found in the dermis, these are irregular

blunt pegs composed of delicate connective tissues protruding and forming the
ridges of the skin, each containing a small opening or pores. The Epidermis is
penetrated and molded by the dermal papillae.

3. Subcutaneous Layer/Hypodermis is the innermost layer of skin that also

contains blood vessels, connective tissue, nerves and fat lobules (a rounded
division or projection of an organ or part in the body, especially in the lungs,
brain, or liver).

© www.researchgate.net /Ali Al-kaf

Divisions or Phalanges of Fingers

A fingerprint is a composite of the ridge outlines which appear on the skin

surface of the bulb on the inside of the end joints of the fingers and thumb. Each finger
of a human being has three divisions or phalanges, namely proximate/ baslar
phalange; middle phalange; and endjoint or terminal phalange. A normal person has
10 fingers namely, thumb, index, middle, ring, and little fingers. The tips of each of the
finger are called bulb that contains the elevated portion of skin called ridges.

Note: Copy and paste or click the link to watch the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjULvHw7GvE

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Fingerprinting is a method of identification using the impression made by the
minute ridge formations or patterns found on the fingertips of a person.

1. Dactyloscopy is the science that deals with the study of fingerprint s as a means of
personal identification. In involves manual comparison of fingerprints to determine
the identity of a person as well as the classification of his fingerprints.

The word dactyloscopy was derived from two Greek words: dactyl which means
finger and skopein which means to study or to examine. Therefore, Dactyloscopy
means the study of fingers (Manlusoc, 2008 p.9).

2. Dactylography is the scientific study and analysis of fingerprints as a means of

identification.

3. Dactylomancy is the study of fingerprints for the purpose of interpreting one's

personality.

Principles of Fingerprint

Scientists and researchers on fingerprints have come up with several principles

underlying the science of fingerprints.

1. Principle of Permanency. It states that fingerprints are unchanging or constant

from birth until the decomposition of the body of the person. This is sometimes called
a principle of constancy/ persistency.

2. Principle of Individuality. It explains that “there are no two fingerprints from

two individuals that are exactly alike,” except if two fingerprints were taken from the
same finger and the same person. Two Fingerprints may be alike in their pattern or
design but considering their minute characteristics, they differ.

3. Principle of Infallibility. It states that fingerprints are the most reliable means
of personal identification. It is for the reason that fingerprints are permanent;
therefore they cannot be forged nor changed.

Several justifications have been advanced in support of the principle of

infallibility. They are as follows:

1. Fingerprints remain unchanged throughout life until the final stage of

decomposition of a person after death as proven by the principle of
permanency.

2. The pattern formulation formed by the papillary ridges contains peculiar

characteristics upon which the person can always be identified by the
fingerprint examiner.

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 3. Almost every police and law enforcement agencies throughout the world
accept, adopt and utilize a fingerprint system as a means of identifying
suspects/ criminals.

Admissibility of fingerprint by expert testimony as to the identity of thumb

mark of fingerprint is infallible.

Fingerprints are very reliable means to identify individual due to the fact that it
cannot be forged nor substituted by any natural means.

Destruction of Ridges

Ridges of the fingerprints of a human being start to form in its 3 rd to 4th month
inside the womb of the mother and the ridges are fully formed in about 6 months.
Fingerprints remain constant until during the decomposition stage of the skin of the
corpse. The fingerprint size is the one that changes as man grows but its ridge
characteristics and pattern remains the same (Scott, 1978).

The layers of the skin of a person are very important for if the epidermis or outer
layer scarf of the skin is damaged, the ridges can still return to its original formation.
However, if the dermis or hypodermis is damaged, there is no hope of restoring the
ridges in its original formation. The skin may return into its formation with changes
into its formation. (Vinluan & Mendoza, 2006 p.22).

Note that damage to the epidermis alone does not result to permanent ridge
destruction while damage to the dermis will result to permanent ridge destruction.

Obliterating Fingerprint

To conceal identity for reason of avoiding prosecution and facing the justice of the
law, some prominent individuals have deliberately attempted to destroy their skin
ridges.

1. John Herbert Dillinger (1902-1934) was a famous American criminal who

attempted to erase his fingerprints with the use of acid. He attracted National
attention for a series of crimes he committed in the Midwestern United States
over a period of 13 months in 1933 and 1934. Dillinger was born in Indianapolis,
Indiana, USA. He was enlisted in the United States Navy in 1923, but deserted
a few months later.

Dillinger committed his first armed robbery in 1924, and served nine years in
prison before being released In May 1933, during the Great Depression. While
in prison, Dillinger formed a gang, which included “Baby Face” Nelson and
“Pretty Boy” Floyd, both of whom were later killed in gun battles with law
enforcers. The gang robbed a dozen banks and held up three police stations to
free captured gang members. In July 1933 J. Edgar Hoover of the Bureau of

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 investigation (BI), now the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), identified
Dillinger as “Public enemy no. 1” in the United States. One of Dillinger’s
most famous acts was his escape, using a mock gun carved from wood, from the
heavily guarded jail in Crown Point, Indiana, where he was awaiting trial for
killing a police officer.

In 1934 Dillinger moved to Chicago, Illinois, and forced a plastic surgeon to

alter his face and fingerprints. However, Dillinger was betrayed by an
acquaintance who told federal agents that she would wear a red dress while
accompanying him to the Biograph Theater. On July 22, federal agents fatally
shot Dillinger as he exited the movie theater. The woman who betrayed him for
a portion of the $50,000 in reward money became known as the “lady in red.”
Some historians claim that Dillinger was not the man killed in front of the
theater (Redinger, 2007).

2. Roberts James Pitts (a.k.a. Roscoe Pitts) gained the fame as the “man
without fingerprints” after knowing from an inmate of a possible
destruction of fingerprints. He contacted a doctor, and the doctor removed the
skin up to the generative layer and served thin into incisions on each side of
Pitts’s chest. Scar tissue was developed. Almost a year later, he was picked up
and police were amazed to discover that he had no fingerprints. The Texas
Department of Public safety was able to effect identification out of the second
joints of his fingers. (Manlusoc, 2008)

3. Dr. Edmond Locard & Witkowsji performed painful experiments on

themselves by burning their fingertips with boiling water and oil with hot
metals to find out whether the process can destroy the ridges of a finger.

But, can one fake fingerprint? Various experiments were conducted by

authorities and although they almost make an accurate reproduction still there
is no case on record known to have been a complete Success. The introduction
of modern scientific equipment, new techniques and up-to-date knowledge in
crime detection always fail the attempt.

Although the face of a person can be subjected to surgery hide identity,

other personal identification methods and modern sciences are now being used
such as DNA analysis.

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 D. Activities/Exercises

Learning Activity No. 1. “Compare and Contrast”

Direction: Compare and contrast Dactyloscopy, Dactylography and Dactylomancy.

Use the table below for your answer.

Similarities

Dissimilarities
Dactyloscopy Dactylography Dactylomancy

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 Learning Activity No. 2. “Phalanges”

Direction: Draw a hand showing the palmar side then label the phalanges.

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 Learning Activity No. 3. “Skin Layer”

Direction: Draw the layer of the skin and label them. Answer the following
questions.

1. State the conditions which may destroy or affect the growth of ridges.
2. Explain the importance of knowing the layers of skin.
3. What is the nature of human skin that enable us to leave impressions on
surfaces we touched or held?
4. What is fingerprint and how is fingerprint associated to crime?

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 Learning Activity No. 3. “Ridge Surface”

Direction: Illustrate the fingerprint impression through a drawing. Label the ridges
and furrows.

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 E. Evaluation/Post-test “Try What You Learned”

This test will measure your knowledge of the topics covered in this module.

Direction:

Test I. Identification. Identify the answer to the given question.

The post-test will be given on thatquiz.org on May 5, 2021

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REFERENCES

“Tell Me What, Where, When, Why and How”

Montalba, E.T. (2010). A means of personal identification. Quezon City.

Vicente, J.B. (2013). Dactyloscopy; a textbook on personal identification. Nueva Ecija

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