Dermatoglyphics is the scientific study of patterns on fingers and hands, used to identify congenital abnormalities and in fingerprint analysis. It is not the same as palmistry, which predicts character and future.
Dermatoglyphics are the scientific study of patterns on the fingers and hands. People have been studying each other’s palms and hands for centuries, and many cultures believe that hand strokes can provide insight into someone’s character or future. Dermatoglyphics take a more scientific approach, looking for characteristics associated with certain ailments. Numerous claims are made about dermatoglyphics, some of which are true, some of which are not.
Hand formation begins very early in fetal development. As a result, people with congenital anomalies, especially severe ones, often develop unusual or abnormal dermatoglyphics. Children with trisomy 21, for example, tend to have broad hands with pudgy fingers, and certain types of fingerprint formations are particularly common. Physicians can sometimes use dermatoglyphics as a diagnostic tool to identify congenital abnormalities, and errors in fetal development that contribute to abnormal dermatoglyphics are also a topic of scientific interest.
Specific variations in fingerprints have been linked to a number of chromosomal abnormalities, as have general variations in the texture, shape and size of the hands and feet. There are usually a number of other diagnostic clues to indicate that someone has a serious genetic abnormality, but studying the hands and feet can still be of interest. Some people also claim that dermatoglyphics can be used in the diagnosis of diseases, ranging from mental disorders to some types of cancer. Studies seem to suggest that dermatoglyphics cannot be used for this purpose, as there are no obvious and distinct differences between study samples and the general population.
The study of dermatoglyphics is also important in fingerprint analysis, a technique that is used to link fingerprints associated with a crime or event to a specific individual. Fingerprints are extremely unique, and especially when a sample includes prints from multiple fingers, it can be used to link someone to an event. Fingerprints can also be used to identify deceased individuals lacking identification, and because fingerprints persist so long, scientists have even successfully fingerprinted ancient mummies by thoroughly rehydrating the skin.
Scientific approaches to studying the development of distinctive skin ridges on the hands and feet should not be confused with palmistry and various types of prediction that also rely on skin ridges. Although skin ridges can sometimes predict someone’s future, as is the case with distinctive skin ridges that indicate someone has a chromosomal disorder, they do not predict character, occupation, or future lovers.
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