Andres J. Washington
Fingerprint Geometric Analysis
A study of the frequency of fingerprint patterns reveals an eminent
fact, that the second and seventh digits (index fingers) distinctively display
a greater variety of patterns. This
event is noteworthy when looking at the fingerprint record of former president
Dwight David Eisenhower. All of the
digits of Eisenhower's left hand displayed the ulnar loop pattern with the
exception of the index finger. His left
index fingerprint was a plain whorl pattern, a clear departure from pattern
consistency. However this phenomenon is
not the most striking example of departure because two other whorl patterns are
displayed on the right hand. They are
located on the # 1 and the # 4 digits.
President Eisenhower's most prominent departure from pattern
consistency was with the right index (# 2) fingerprint. It was a radial loop pattern and the only
radial loop displayed in the ten set of fingerprints. A
1993 FBI study on the frequency of fingerprint patterns including over 17
million males indicated that approximately 19.4 % of the male population
displayed the radial loop pattern on the right index.
