CCJE, Instructor Defining Fingerprints: The skin surface of any human finger consists of a pattern of dark lines of ridges along with white lines or valleys between them. The ridges’ structures changes at points known as minutiae and can be either bifurcated or of short length or two ridges can end on a single point. These details or patterns are unique in every human being. The flow of this ridges, their features, the intricate details of ridges and their sequence is what defines the information for fingerprint identification. Fingerprint – is a unique identification of every individual - Consists of friction ridges and furrows Friction Ridges – involves core and delta - The basic formation of fingerprint Core – is the approximate center of the fingerprint pattern - to find the core you need to find the innermost recurving ridge Delta – is a point on the first ridge formation found at or directly infront of and nearest the center of the divergence of the type lines. Recurving Ridge – is one flows in one side of the print and then does a recurve of U-turn and flows back out the same side of the print. Furrows – the other name is valleys or white lines between ridges. - the uniqueness of a fingerprint can be determined by the pattern of ridges and furrows. Sir Henry Faulds – the father of Fingerprint Dactyloscopy – The study of fingerprint identification Ridgeology – The study of the uniqueness of friction ridge structures and their use for personal identification. Dactylography – The identification of fingerprint The Importance of Fingerprints Fingerprint as a system of identification is a relatively new science. Although fingerprints have been used for over two thousand years, the present practical means of classifying and filing them for quick reference was perfected. Many people mistakenly believe that fingerprints are primarily a device to catch criminals rather than a means by which to identify them after they are caught. Most persons thought of fingerprinting solely in terms of its use in the detection and apprehension of criminals. This is only one of its very numerous uses. Newer and greater demands have been made for application of this science and the demand is still growing. The versatile fingerprint is now in daily use for the identification of unidentified dead persons whose bodies lie in morgues. Fingerprints thus taken have identified thousands of persons who, otherwise, would have been buried in unmarked graves. Experts assigned to Bureaus of missing persons take the prints of all unidentified dead, forward them to the National Bureau of Investigation, where identity is established, if corresponding records are on file. Another important government use of fingerprints might be made in connection with the issuance of passports,. Passports often have been forged or otherwise tampered with. Signatures can be forged or altered and so can the personal descriptions and photographs altered or substituted. Only the infallible fingerprint is unchangeable, permanent, fool-proof and positive method of identification. In the educational field, fingerprints of candidates for examinations, degrees and certificates, would prevent with absolute certainty the fraudulent transfer of diplomas and certificates, and impersonation at the time of examination would be rendered impossible. No mix-up, no confusion of identities is possible when fingerprints are on record. The reliability, simplicity, accuracy and speed of the fingerprint system have convinced commercial and industrial leaders of its value, so that today fingerprinting is used in railroad companies, express companies, banks, insurance companies, hotels, department stores, mercantile houses, and in defense plants. Discharge employees could not obtain re-employment in the same company by a mere change of name; undesirable and those with criminal records are screened out; reduction of the possibility of sabotage are made possible by the use of fingerprints. It makes no difference whether a company is large or small, whether its operations are simple or highly complex, if positive identification is required, fingerprinting is the only system which can be relied on. Banks have great need for a method of infallible identification as do other commercial and industrial companies. The forger who, with astounding skill, has been able to forge withdrawals through impersonation, now finds it impossible if confronted with fingerprinting. Fraudulent withdrawals of funds by unauthorized persons from the accounts of the illiterate and uneducated have been made time without much difficulty. Lack of a positive means of identification has made this possible. The Civil Service Commission usually requires the fingerprints of all candidates for appointment to national, provincial, city and municipal positions. The way in which the fingerprint is used in such cases varies, but in all cases it absolutely prevents impersonation. There have been instance in which appointments to positions have been made, in which the appointee had never even take the examination, but where someone else, for a fee, had taken the examination under the appointee’s name. Fingerprints could also eliminate the great difficulties probate courts have labored in cases involving wills and inheritance claims. It would be easy for the party drawing a will to add the fingerprints of those concerned. In case of eventual contention of the will, it would be easy for all rightful claimants to establish their identities and their rights, beyond dispute. Many persons, especially the wealthy, now are protecting the interests of their descendants through the employment of fingerprints. Lying-in hospitals and maternity homes use the fingerprint, foot print and palm print systems to guard against baby-mixups and substitutions. Physicians and nurses have been greatly perplexed also by the complete similarity of twins and triplets. But no matter how much they look alike, the fingerprints, palm prints and foot prints of twins, triplets, quadruplets, and quintuplets are NEVER alike. Methods of Identification At different periods in his history, man has tried a variety of methods whereby each could be separated from all his fellows, but none of these methods of identification was adequate until fingerprinting was adopted. Thus, among barbarians and savages, tattooing was greatly relied on, and still is, in some places. But tattoos can be changed, they can be duplicated, and they disfigure. In 1882, at Paris, France, Alphonse Bertillon became head of the identification service in the office of the Prefect of Police and he spread a new system of identification called anthropometry. This system involved the measurements of certain bony parts of the human body. It was an improvement over all previous methods and resulted in numerous successful identifications. However, it had several disadvantages: It took a long time to learn the system; it was expensive in application; it could be used for adults only; it was subject to errors and duplications; not applicable to children, and it was extremely low. What the Bertillon system did was to fill a need between the crude earlier forms of identification and the accurate infallible fingerprint system which was to came later. To his credit, Bertillon was the first to put human identification on a scientific plane, but his system was not so good as one destined shortly to supplant it. Today the fingerprint system has taken the place of the Bertillon anthropometrical method. In addition to physical measurements of the human body, Bertillon devised and included in his identification system a method of describing people verbally. This method is known by the French name of Portrait Parle which means “word picture”. The Portrait Parle method did find widespread use. Although the many ramifications of it have been discarded in most of their details, Bertillon’s portrait parle forms the foundation of our-present day description of criminals and non- criminals. The Fingerprint System Fingerprint is a reproduction on some smooth surface of the pattern or design formed by the ridges on the inside of the end joint of a finger or thumb. If you press your fingers on some colored matter, then on a piece of paper, you can see these patterns more clearly. Looking casually at them you might think that there are duplications, but when you have learned how to take impressions and interpret the patterns you’ll very quickly see the differences. Not only does no one else on earth have the same ridge formations as you, but no one ever had. Not only that, but no two of your own fingers have duplicate formations. There are no two fingerprints in the world that are exactly alike. What it means is, of course, that no two fingers, out of all the millions that have been examined through their prints, have ever been found to be alike. This is not a startling fact’ when we consider the source of the ridges and the precise biological facts behind them. Nature never duplicates anything in all its details. Nature does provide SIMILAR things, but not IDENTICAL things. Consider the leaves of trees, the mango, for example. One leaf, looked at casually, seems much like another mango leaf. But critically examined as to its details, you will find differences. If you put it under a microscope, these differences become even more noticeable and numerous. Even the two halves of the same leaf, although similar, are not identical. Under a microscope, two wings of an insect, two blades of grass that have grown side by side are not identical. Even in the space of man-made products, the machine-produced articles will show differences on critical examination. So it is not astounding that differences exist in fingerprint. Throughout the entire field of science the fact of VARIATION is well known, accepted, and relied upon. The natural law of variation is an established fact, apparent in fingerprint science as in all other sciences. There are, “doubles” among men, some of whom seem to be exact doubles in everything EXCEPT THEIR FINGERPRINTS. Thus, fingerprinting is accepted as the only infallible method of identification. There are numerous sets of prints of twins, triplets, quadruplets, and even quintuplets. None of these fingerprints is identical to any other one, yet if fingerprints ever were to be identical, we could surely expect to find them in them. Even more startling proof of this factor of variation is found in the fingerprints of Siamese twins, joined together since birth. Can fingerprints be changed or obliterated by the use of corrosive acids or by plastic surgery? YES! Can they be changed to be exactly like mine or yours or else’s?NO! If, after using an abrasive or resorting to plastic surgery, the papillary ridges come back at all, they will be exactly as before. If the skin is injured sufficiently deep, the papillary ridges will not come back at all. What better identification than that you could ask for? Such a person would be marked for life. Certain diseases like leprosy affect the papillary ridges on the fingers and toes. In the final stages of these diseases, the ridges may be destroyed entirely. Such cases are extremely rare. Can fingerprints be successfully forged? NO! What Is the History of Fingerprinting? According to the U.S. Marshals Service, one of the earliest uses of fingerprinting for purposes of identification dates to ancient Babylon, about 4,300 years ago, when merchants used fingerprints on clay tablets to finalize business transactions. The first use of fingerprints for forensic purposes in police investigations dates to 1892, when Juan Vucetich, an Argentine police official, used fingerprints to identify a criminal for the first time. Ancient cultures in China, Persia, Greece, Egypt and Rome used fingerprints to establish identity for many purposes, including as makers’ marks on pottery, as decorations, to sign business contracts and to make loans between specific individuals. They did not use fingerprints to identify an unknown individual in the general population. Legal records show that during the Qin dynasty, which lasted from 221 to 206 B.C., the Chinese gathered hand prints, foot prints and fingerprints as evidence at a crime scene. Over the next several centuries, scientists and other researchers studied fingerprints for purposes of developing a taxonomy of types and patterns. The data were useful in many disciplines and proved to investigators that fingerprints were unique and could be used to establish identity to a certainty. Sir Francis Galton is credited with identifying characteristics of fingerprints that are still used by criminal investigators as of 2014. Forensic use of fingerprints spread rapidly during the 20th century, and by 1971 the FBI had 200 million fingerprint cards on file. These became the database for the Automated Fingerprint Identification System. Historical Overview and Scientific Foundation of Fingerprint Identification 650 A.D. – The earliest known use of fingerprints for identification was in China. Prints were placed on contracts to provide a positive means of identification. 1685 Marcello Malphighi – A professor at the University of Bologna, Italy used a microscope for the first time to examine friction skin and made observations as to its culture. 1788 – One of the earliest recordings supporting the uniqueness of fingerprints was found in a medical book of on human anatomical illustrations by Dr. J. C. A. Mayer. 1823 – Dr. J.E. Purkinje, a Czech Physiologist and Professor of Anatomy at the University at Breslau published a research paper where he classified the fingerprint patterns into nine groupings and many for the rules of this classification are followed today. 1856-1897 – Hermann Welcker, a German anthropologist at the University of Halle conducted the first study into the permanence of the details of friction ridges. The study took 34 years. Late 1800’s – Sir William Herschel of England observed that fingerprints were unique and unchanging. 1880 – Dr. Henry Faulds, a medical doctor and scientific researcher of Scottish descent, stated that fingerprints found at crime scenes, such as prints in blood, could be used to identify criminals. He also made observations of the uniqueness and permanence of fingerprints. 1883 – The personal identification system of Anthropometry was developed by Alphonse Bertillon. 1890’s – Sir Francis Galton, a noted scientist and anthropologist, who specialized in genetics, human heredity, and biological variation, wrote the first book on fingerprints, entitled Finger Prints. It was published in England, in 1892. His text recorded his research into the fact that friction skin is unique and permanent. 1892 – Juan Vucetich, while serving as the head of an identification bureau in Argentina introduced bloody prints into evidence during a double murder trial in 1892. This was the first case in which crime scene prints were presented as evidence and it resulted in a conviction. 1897 – Sir Edward Henry developed a fingerprint classification system for the storage and retrieval of complete sets of fingerprints. 1904 – The first fingerprint identification bureaus in the United States were established. 1907 – The United States Navy began using fingerprints to established positive identification of service members. 1918 – Dr. Harris Wilder and Bret Wentworth published the textbook entitled, Personal Identification. They stated that friction skin are unique. 1924 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) established the FBI Identification Bureau with 810,000 inked fingerprint cards. 1943 – Dr. Harold Cummings and Charles Midlo, both a professors of Anatomy at Tulane University, authored the text, Fingerprints, Palms and Soles.Their text details that all areas of friction skin are unique and permanent. 1952 – Dr. Alfred Hale, published his scientific research into the formation of friction skin, which explained differential growth, the random of friction skin, which explained differential growth, the random formation of the ridges that show uniqueness. 1970’s – The first automated fingerprint identification systems (AFIS) were developed. By the mid 1980’s, AFIS were well established in law enforcement agencies throughout the world. 1976 – Dr. Michio Okajima published a research that providing additional confirmation on how friction skin is formed. 1980 to present – Dr. William Babler of Marquette University has studied the formation of friction skin and he testified that all areas of friction skin, including individual ridge units, are unique. How Does Fingerprinting Work? In fingerprint work we always record what are known as rolled impressions and plain impressions on the standard fingerprint cards. A plain impression is one made by pressing an inked finger directly down upon a fingerprint card without any rolling motion whatsoever. It will record only the center portion of the friction ridge pattern. A rolled impression is one made by rolling an inked finger from one side of the finger nail to the other. It will record the entire ridge pattern of the nail joint of the finger. Fingerprinting uses digital scanning technology to take an imprint of a person's fingerprints. The most common form of fingerprinting is rolled fingerprints. This type of fingerprinting requires the person to thoroughly clean his finger and roll it on an ink pad before rolling it on a prepared card. When fingerprinted, a person uses alcohol to clean the fingerprint area. The finger is placed on an ink pad and rolled to ensure ink covers the entire area. Then the person rolls his finger across a prepared card, usually at a 45-degree angle, leaving a fingerprint . More and more, government agencies and businesses use digital fingerprint scanners. These scanners do not require ink. A person places his finger on an optical or silicon fingerprint reader and the reader converts the information into a data pattern. The computer can map the fingerprint to help identify a person. Law enforcement and other agencies use fingerprints as a way of identifying a person. They use the scanned fingerprints in a database that compares them to others. No two people have the same fingerprints. Although using fingerprints as a method of identification since ancient times, law enforcement did not begin using it as a way of identifying criminals until the 19th century. When Did Fingerprinting Start? On July 28, 1999, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation launched the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or IAFIS. It is a national fingerprint and criminal history system that contains data on 70 million subjects in the criminal master file. It also contains more than 34 million civil prints. These civil entries are typically from the U.S. military or those who have had federal employment. What is AFIS? A computerized system capable of reading, classifying, matching and storing fingerprints for criminal justice agencies. Quality latent fingerprints are entered into the AFIS for a search for possible matches against the state maintained databases for fingerprint records to help established the identity of unknown deceased, person of suspects in a criminal case. In 2014, approximately 55 million prints on file that will provide 10-12 possible matches. Data includes not only fingerprints, but also criminal histories, physical characteristics, mug shots, aliases and scar/tattoo photos. All data is voluntarily submitted by state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. What Is DNA Fingerprinting? DNA fingerprinting is a forensic process that involves extracting DNA from the nucleus of cells and comparing the tiny differences between DNA found on evidence and any suspects. The technique uses results to prove whether people are guilty or innocent. Since the same DNA is found in each cell of the human body, DNA fingerprinting can include skin, hair or even cheek cells found in saliva. Innovators seek ways to speed up this process and use less DNA. DNA fingerprinting is a chemical test that shows the genetic makeup of a person or other living things. It’s used as evidence in courts, to identify bodies, track down blood relatives, and to look for cures for disease. DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid, which is inside of every cell in your body. It’s a chain of chemical compounds that join together to form permanent blueprints for life. These compounds are called bases, and there are 4 of them. They pair up with another to form what are called base pairs. Your DNA has about 3 billion of these couples. The way they’re strung together tells your cells how to make copies of each other. The complete set of your compounds is known as a genome. More than 99.9 % of everyone’s genome is exactly alike (100% if you are identical twins). But the tiny bit that’s not is what makes you physically and mentally different from someone else. DNA fingerprinting uses chemicals to separate strands of DNA and reveal the unique parts of your genome. The results show up as a pattern of stripes that can be matched against other samples. Uses of DNA Fingerprinting Since it was invented in 1984, DNA fingerprinting most often has been used in court cases and legal matters. It can: Physically connect a piece of evidence to a person or rule out someone as a suspect. Show who your parents, siblings, and other relatives may be. Identify a dead body that’s too old or damaged to be recognizable. DNA fingerprinting is extremely accurate. Most countries now keep DNA records on file in much the same way police keep copies of actual fingerprints. It also has medical uses. It can: Match tissues of organ donors with those of people who need transplants. Identify diseases that are passed down through your family. Help find cures for those diseases, called hereditary conditions. Fingerprint Test To get your DNA fingerprint, you would give a sample of cells from your body. This can come from a swab inside your mouth, from your skin, the roots of your hair, or your saliva, sweat, or other body fluids. Blood is usually the easiest way. Lab workers treat the sample with chemicals to separate the DNA, which is then dissolved in water.
While DNA fingerprinted was initially developed in the early 1980s, the first time the technique was used to catch a criminal was in 1987. Starting in 1989, DNA fingerprinting has since exonerated many people through the Innocence Project. The older method used for DNA fingerprinting was restriction fragment length polymorphism, which required a lot of DNA, but a newer method called microsatellite analysis allowed scientists to analysis DNA with a limited amount of genetic material. Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is a long molecule in the form of a double helix that exists in the cells of life. The molecule carries the instructions needed for cells to reproduce, develop and function. Almost each person's DNA is unique like a fingerprint with the only exception being identical twins. How Do You Obtain DNA for DNA Fingerprinting? To obtain DNA for DNA fingerprinting, a sample of cells from skin, hair, blood, saliva or semen is collected. The white blood cells from the sample are broken open using detergent, and then the usable DNA is separated from all the other cellular material. Subsequently, the extracted DNA is cut into smaller pieces using restriction enzymes. Restriction enzymes cut the DNA at a specific sequence, which produces either blunt or sticky ends, resulting in many fragments of different length, called restriction fragments length polymorphisms, or RFLPs. The RFLPs are put into agarose gel and are then sorted according to size, using gel electrophoresis. When the current is turned on in the electric field, the negatively charged RFLPs move across the gel towards the positive end. The smaller fragments move further across the gel than the larger ones. An alkali causes the hydrogen bonds to break and the DNA to become single-stranded, resulting in the nucleotides becoming free. These free nucleotides are used to pair up with probes. The agarose gel is then covered by a piece of nylon. Thin paper towels are used to absorb the moisture from the gel. The DNA fragments slowly get transferred to the surface of the nylon in a process called blotting. Radioactive probes are then washed over the nylon surface. These probes join with DNA fragments that share the same composition. Finally, a photographic film is placed on the nylon. The probes mark on the film, at the places where they connected with the RFLPs. On developing the film, dark bands that represent the length of the hybridized RFLPs are found. The DNA fingerprints of two people can then be compared by placing the film on a light surface and analysing the difference in the lengths of the RFLPs. DNA Fingerprinting Methods Up through 1984, the only method of establishing and authenticating personal identification was by the fingerprint process. Since no two humans have been found to have identical pattern of ridges on their fingers, this method has been universally accepted as a means of personal identification. What if you are looking for a set of fingerprints that have not been classified and put into the world wide computerized system for fingerprint identification? In 1984, Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester in England was able to distinguish differences among individuals based solely on their DNA composition. Since this advancement in forensic science was announced in 1985, there has been tremendous progress made in the methodology of extracting the DNA samples from such things as blood, saliva, personal items and in the identification of human remains. FINGERPRINT IDENTIFICATION is the method of identification based on the different patterns of human fingers, which is actually unique among each person. It is the most popular way of acquiring details of any person and is the most easy and convenient way of identifying a person. An advantage of fingerprint identification method is that the fingerprints pattern remains same for a person through out his/her life, making it an infallible method of human identification. The study of fingerprint identification is Dactyloscopy. Fingerprint Identification is the method of identification using the impressions made by the minute ridge formations or patterns found on the fingertips. No two persons have exactly the same arrangement of ridge patterns, and the patterns of any one individual remain unchanged throughout life. Fingerprints offer an infallible means of personal identification. Other personal characteristics may change, but fingerprints do not. Fingerprints can be recorded on a standard fingerprint card or can be recorded digitally and transmitted electronically to the FBI for comparison. By comparing fingerprints at the scene of a crime with the fingerprint record of suspected persons, officials can establish absolute proof of the presence of identity of a person. Where Fingerprints May be Found Fingerprints can be found on practically any solid surface, including the human body. Analysts classify fingerprints into three categories according to the type of surface on which they are found and whether they are visible or not: Fingerprints on soft surfaces (such as soap, wax, wet paint, fresh caulk, etc.) are likely to be three-dimensional plastic prints; those on hard surfaces are either patent (visible) or latent (invisible) prints. Visible prints are formed when blood, dirt, ink, paint, etc., is transferred from a finger or thumb to a surface. Latent prints can be found on a wide variety of surfaces: smooth or rough, porous (such as paper, cloth or wood) or nonporous (such as metal, glass or plastic). Meaning of Latent Prints - Are impressions left by friction ridge skin on a surface. Note: Prints may be collected by revealing them with a dusting of powder and then lifted with a piece of clear tape. Latent prints are formed when the body’s natural oils and sweat on the skin are deposited onto another surface. Latent prints can be found on a variety of surfaces; however, they are not readily visible and detection often requires the use of fingerprint powders, chemical reagents or alternate light sources. Generally speaking, the smoother and less porous a surface is, the greater the potential that any latent prints present can be found and developed. How Fingerprints are Collected Collecting Patent Prints Patent prints are collected using a fairly straightforward method: photography. These prints are photographed in high resolution with a forensic measurement scale in the image for reference. Investigators can improve the quality of the images by using low-angle or alternate light sources and/or certain chemicals or dyes during photograph. Collecting Latent Prints One of the most common methods for discovering and collecting latent fingerprints is by dusting a smooth or nonporous surface with fingerprint powder (black granular, aluminum flake, black magnetic, etc.). If any prints appear, they are photographed as mentioned above and then lifted from the surface with clear adhesive tape. The lifting tape is then placed on a latent lift card to preserve the print. However, fingerprint powders can contaminate the evidence and ruin the opportunity to perform other techniques that could turn up a hidden print or additional information. Therefore, investigators may examine the area with an alternate light source or apply cyanoacrylate (super glue) before using powders. The (3) major patterns of Fingerprint 1.)Arches – An arch has friction ridges that enter on the other side of the finger and cross to the other side while rising upwards in the middle. They do not have typelines, deltas or cores. 5% of the worldwide population has lops type of fingerprint. There are two sub-types of arch patterns Plain arch – No Delta or Core present - In this pattern a consistency of flow can be observed. It starts on one side of the finger and the ridge then slightly cascades upward. This almost resembles a wave out on the ocean and then the arch continues its journey along the finger to the other side. The plain arch pattern is the simplest of the fingerprints to discern. A pattern shows a smooth rise in the center and a gentle upward curve. Tented Arch – Has a delta in the center - The similarity between this pattern and the plain arch is that it starts on one side of the finger and flows out to the other side in a similar pattern. However, the difference is that the tented arch lies in the ridges in the centre and is not continuous like the plain arch. They have significant up thrusts in the ridges near the middle that arrange themselves on both sides of an axis. The adjoining ridges converge towards this axis and thus appear to form tents. 2.) Loops - The ridges make a backward turn in loops but they do not twist. This backward turn or loop is distinguished by how the loop flows on the hand and not by how the loop flows on the card where the imprint is taken. This imprint on the fingerprint is similar to the reverse image that we see when we look at ourselves in the mirror. A loop pattern has only one delta. -These can be seen in almost 60 to 65% of the fingerprints that are encountered. There are two sub-types of Loops Ulnar loops – The loop basically opens towards right or the ulna bone (little finger) - These are named after a bone in the forearm called ulna. This bone is on the same side as the little finger and the flow of this pattern runs from the thumb towards the little finger of the hand. Radial Loops – When the open end of the loop ridges points in the direction of the thumb side of either the right or left hand. 3.) Whorls - Some of the ridges in a whorl make a turn through at least one circuit. Therefore any pattern that contains two or more deltas will be a whorl. -These can be found in about 25 to 35% of the fingerprints that are encountered. - A circuit of whorl can be circular, spiral, oval, or any other variant of a circle. There are four sub-types of Whorl: Plain whorl - The ridges in these whorls make a turn of one complete circuit with two deltas and are therefore circular or spiral in shape. This is the simplest form of whorl and also the most common. Central pocket loop whorl - These whorls consist of at least one re-curving ridge or an obstruction at right angles to the line of flow with two deltas and if an imaginary line is drawn in between then no re-curving ridge within the pattern area will be touched or cut. These whorl ridges make one complete circuit and may be oval, circular, spiral or any variant of a circle. It is a pattern which for the most part looks like a loop, but which has a small whorl inside the loop ridges. Double Loop whorls – It has two distinct and separate shoulders for each core, two deltas and one or more ridges that make a complete circuit. Consists of two separate loop formations. There are two deltas in each double loop whorl. Because of the presence of two loops in each of these patterns, these are sometime called as composite patterns. Accidental Whorl – Whorls containing ridges that match the characteristics of a particular whorl sub-grouping. A pattern consisting of a combination of two or more types of pattern A pattern which possesses of two or more different types, except a plain arch, with two or more deltas. Composite Whorl– It is a combination of two or more than two pattern - only 1-2 % of all fingerprints are composite