The Importance Of The Individualization Characteristics...

In 1888, Sir Francis Galton, a British anthropologist, began his observations of fingerprints while studying the hereditary nature of the human body and they it could reveal about an individual. In 1892, after several years of study, Galton published the book Fingerprints. In his book, he established the importance of the individualization characteristics and permanence of fingerprints. Additionally, his book references the features by which fingerprints can be identified. These characteristics, known in forensics as minutia, are still in use today. Moreover, some veterans of the field still refer to them as Galton’s details (Barnes, 2011). Furthermore, in his book, Galton detailed a method of classification which he based on an alphabetical list created by three fingerprint patterns: arch is represented by the letter A, loop is represented by the letter L, and a whorl is represented by the letter W. In order to classify a set of fin ¬gerprints using this alphabetic enume ration system, each finger was labeled with the corresponding letter according to its friction ridge pattern. The letters produced using this system, for the right hand’s index, middle, and ring fingers were grouped together, followed by the letters for the same fingers on the hand. After this sequence of letters, the letters produced by this technique for the right thumb and right little finger were added to the sequence, followed by the letters for the left thumb and left little finger (Hutchins, 2011).Show MoreRelatedHistory of Forensic Science6897 Words   |  28 Pagesanthropometric system, called signaletics or bertillonage. Bertillon identified individuals by measurements of the head and body, shape formations of the ear, eyebrow, mouth, eye, etc., individual markings such as tattoos and scars, and personality characteristics. The measurements were made into a formula that referred to a single unique individual, and recorded onto cards which also bore a photographic frontal and profile portrait of the suspect (the mug shot). The cards were then systematically filed