Why do we have fingerprints?

[SheepDog]

From a survival standpoint, it strikes me as odd that people would need to have a uniquely identifiable pattern on their fingers. I can see a reason for crude texture, but no reason for the level of detail and uniqueness.

I also find it interesting that the prints happen to be on one of the most used parts of our bodies. By going through our normal activities, we leave these impressions on nearly everything we touch. Why do we have prints on our fingertips, and not on our buttocks, or other places?

[Tranzors]

From a survival standpoint, it helps us grip things.

[KentOhio]

Can you scan yours in? There are, what, 5 different types? Radial loop, ulner loop, arch, whorl, and irregular. All ten of mine match; they're all ulner loops, the most common type.

Oh, and toes have finger-- er-- "toe prints" as well. That's one of the reasons it's so hard to dispute evidence for bigfoot; they found bigfoot footprints with toe prints that would be impossible to forge.

[jimkopelli]

Zebras have unique patterns on their hindquarters, and we've learned to identify different whales by their flukes... maybe it's one of those things that just happens. Why do we all need an individual set of DNA? Maybe we're all supposed to have the same set of fingerprints, but we keep screwing it up...

[MacGuffin]

We all have different ears. An earprint is unique too.

So when you consider how no one is truly identical, it makes sense that the tiny lines on our fingertips used for gripping are unique as well.

[Sam172]

Can you scan yours in? There are, what, 5 different types? Radial loop, ulner loop, arch, whorl, and irregular. All ten of mine match; they're all ulner loops, the most common type.
I have an ulner loop on 4 out of 5 fingers on each hand, and a matching whorl on 1 out of 5 of the fingers. Oh and I also have a burn mark on one of my fingers that's obliterated part of my fingerprint :p

All in all I believe that it's only logical that they are different because everyone else is different. Still, it would be much more fun if they were all a different pigment too :p

[Groty]

The scan didn't work too well. I'm just gonna have to get arrested tonight.

I think fingerprints work better than suction cups.

http://www.groty.com/grotyfingers.jpg

[SheepDog]

The scan didn't work too well. I'm just gonna have to get arrested tonight.

I think fingerprints work better than suction cups.

http://www.groty.com/grotyfingers.jpg
That would have been even funnier if you'd photoshopped it to have 12 fingers...

[jimkopelli]

Or a tentacle... or all thumbs... or two left hands or something...

[Groty]

Damn, you're right. It took 10 minutes of me standing there with my hands in the scanner to get that. I should've pshop'd it.

[jimkopelli]

Did you have to ask for help or something? I shoulda realized that you wouldn't really be able to use your hands to press buttons if they're both being scanned... or did you use you feet or your nose to click... or some other option that I'd probably rather not hear... is this back to the tentacle again?

[Groty]

Did you have to ask for help or something? I shoulda realized that you wouldn't really be able to use your hands to press buttons if they're both being scanned... or did you use you feet or your nose to click... or some other option that I'd probably rather not hear... is this back to the tentacle again?
Yeah, I went over to trinity's machine. She's good at photoediting, but we didn't have any time to fool with it.

[Trinity]

You should have told me that you were going to post that scan here. You know how creative I can be with paintshop!

True, we really didn't have the time, but it sure would have been funny.

[Jezebel]

Can you scan yours in? There are, what, 5 different types? Radial loop, ulner loop, arch, whorl, and irregular. All ten of mine match; they're all ulner loops, the most common type.

According to this site (http://www.policensw.com/info/fingerprints/finger07.html), I have ulnar loops and tented arches.

[mgb]

tented arches and plain whorles on a couple.

[jimkopelli]

Arch on left pointer finger, pocket whorl on right ring, and radial loops on all the rest.
How odd.

[Dunearhp]

Fingerprints are different because they grow somewhat randomly. Genetics seems to have little effect on them.

Genetics can effect other things however.

[SheepDog]

Perfect. :)

[indie]

The Myth of Fingerprints

(Paul Simon)

Over the mountain
Down in the valley
Lives a former talk-show host
Everybody knows his name
He says there's no doubt about it
It was the myth of fingerprints
I've seen them all and man
They're all the same

Well, the sun gets weary
And the sun goes down
Ever since the watermelon
And the lights come up
On the black pit town
Somebody says what's a better thing to do
Well, it's not just me
And it's not just you
This is all around the world

Out in the Indian Ocean somewhere
There's a former army post
Abandoned now just like the war
And there's no doubt about it
It was the myth of fingerprints
That's what that old army post was for

Well, the sun gets bloody
And the sun goes down
Ever since the watermelon
And the lights come up
On the black pit town
Somebody says what's a better thing to do
Well, it's not just me
And it's not just you
This is all around the world

Over the mountain
Down in the valley
Lives the former talk-show host
Far and wide his name was known
He said there's no doubt about it
It was the myth of fingerprints
That's why we must learn to live alone

[cathmc]

Looks like I am all about the ulnar loops, on both hands.