Personal

Identification
 BASIC RIDGE
CHARACTERISTICS
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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.
Friction Ridges
- are the raised strips of
skin on the inside of the
end joints of our fingers
and thumbs by which
fingerprints are made.

Other names are "papillary ridges" and "epidermal ridges".

Fingerprint patterns consist of alternating ridges and
furrows.
Recurving Ridge
- are ridges that curve

back in the direction

from which they
started.
Converging Ridge
- are two ridges running parallel and
meeting at the point forming an angle.
Diverging Ridge
- are two ridges running side by side and suddenly
separating, one going one and the other going another
way. The point where they separate is called the “point of
divergence”.
APPENDAGE
- refers to a shortage ridge, which runs into the one trying
to recurve at the top of the summit or the recurve at the
right angle.
BIFURCATION
- is a ridge which forks or split into two
ridges.
RIDGE ENDING
- refers to
an abrupt
end of ridge
formation.
ISLAND RIDGE
- a ridge
resembling
a dot.
LAKE or ENCLOSURE
- an angular projection
or branch extending out
beyond or away from a
body or formation.

It is a bifurcation with one short ridge

branching off a longer ridge.
SPUR
- a bifurcation which
does not remain
open but in which
legs of bifurcation
after running along
side by side form a
single ridge one
more.
CROSSOVER or BRIDGE
- an instance crossing –over
of a ridge.
Bridge
FINGERPRINT PATTERNS
AND
INTERPRETATION
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TYPE LINES AND PATTERN AREAS

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PATTERN AREA
- is the only part of the finger impression with
which we are concerned in regard to
interpretation and classification. It is present in all
patterns, except in arches and tented arches.
- is that part of a loop or whorl in which
appear the cores, deltas and ridges with which we
are concerned in classifying.
- enclosed by type lines.
TYPE LINES
The two innermost
ridges which start
parallel, diverge and
surround or tend to
surround the pattern
area.
 Location of Type Lines

1. Type lines are not always two continuous ridges. In fact

they are more often found to be broken, when there is a

definite break in a type line, the ridge immediately

outside of its is considered as its continuation.

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2. Sometimes
type lines
maybe very
short.
3. When locating type lines, it is necessary to keep in
mind the distinction between divergence and a
bifurcation.
Divergence – spreading apart
of two lines which have been
running parallel or nearly parallel.
Bifurcation – is the forking or
dividing of one line into two
or more branches.
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 The ridges
marked “A – A”
are the type
lines even
though they
proceed from a
bifurcation.
 The ridges
“A – A” are not
the type lines
because the
forks of the
bifurcation do
not run parallel
with each other.
4. An angular
formation
cannot be
used as a
type line .
FOCAL POINT – within the pattern areas of loops
and whorls are enclosed the focal points. These
points are called DELTA and CORE.
TWO FOCAL POINTS
a. Delta – is that point on a ridge at or in front
of and nearest the center of the divergence of the
type lines.
- is the point from which to start in ridge counting.
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 FORMS OF DELTA
◎ A bifurcation
◎ An abrupt ending ridge
◎ A dot
◎ A short ridge
◎ A meeting of two ridges
◎ A point on the first recurving ridge located nearest
to the center and in front of the divergence of the
type lines.
 It maybe
bifurcation
An abrupt
ending
ridge
A Dot
A Short
Ridge
Meeting
of two
Ridges
A point on the
first recurving
ridge located
nearest to the
center and in
front of the
divergence of the
type lines.
When there is a choice
between two or more
possible deltas, the
following rules govern;

1. The delta may not be

located at a bifurcation
which does not open
toward the core.
2. When there is a
choice between
a bifurcation
and another
types of delta,
the bifurcation
is selected.
3. When there are
two or more
possible deltas
which conform
to the definite,
the one nearest
the core is
chosen.
4. If there is a series
of bifurcation
opening towards the
core, equally close to
the point of
divergence of the
type lines, the delta
nearest to the core
shall be selected.
5. The delta may not be located in the
middle of a ridge running between
the type lines toward the core, but at
the nearer end only.
The location of the delta is this
case depends entirely upon the point
of origin of the ridge running between
the type lines toward the core.
5-a. If the ridge is entirely
within the pattern area, the delta is
located at the end nearer the point of
divergence of the type lines.
5-b. If the ridge
enters the pattern
area from a point
below the
divergence of the
types lines, the
delta must be
located at the end
nearer the core.
6. A—A and B—B
are the type lines,
with the dot as
the delta. The
bifurcations
cannot be
considered as
they do not open
toward the core.
7. The dot cannot be the
delta because line D cannot
be considered as a type line.
It does not run parallel to
type line A—A at any point.
The same reason prevents
line E from being a type line.
The end of ridge E is the
only possible delta as it is a
point on the ridge nearest to
the center of divergence of
the type lines.
B. Core – is the appropriate center of the finger
impression.
SELECTION OF THE CORE OF A LOOP
1. The core is placed
upon or within the inner
most sufficient recurve.
2. When the inner most
sufficient recurve
contains no ending ridge
or rod rising as high as
the shoulders of the
loops, the case is placed
on the shoulder of the
loop farther from the
delta.
2. If the innermost recurving ridge contains a single
ending ridge rising as high as the shoulder of the
loop, the core is placed at the tip of the ridge
engulfed by the shoulder of the innermost looping
ridge.
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3. When the innermost sufficient
recurves contains an uneven
number of rods rising as high as
the shoulders, like core is placed
upon the end of the center rod
whether it touches the looping
ridge or not.
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4. When the innermost sufficient recurve contains an even number of
rods, rising as high as the shoulder, the core is placed upon the end
of the farther one of the two center rods, the two center rods
being treated as though they were connected by a recurving ridge.

Shoulder of a loop
– are the
points at which
the recurving
ridge definitely
turns or curves.
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There are two
rods, but the rod
marked "A" does
not rise as high
as the shoulder
line X, so the
core is at B.
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5. If such an appendage is present between the
shoulders if a loop, that loop is considered spoiled
and the next loop outside will be considered to
locate the core.
6. In case of interlocking loops at the center, two loops are
considered as one.
6-a. When the shoulder
line (x – x) is drawn it is
found to cross exactly at
the point of intersection
of the two loops. The two
loops are considered one
with one rod, the core is
being placed at (c) or
point of intersection.
6-b. When the shoulder line (x – x) is above the point of
intersection of the two loops. The two are considered
as one with two rods, the core being at C (farther from
the delta)
6-c. When the shoulder line (x – x) is below the point of
intersection of the loops, again. The two are
considered as one with two rods, the core is being
placed at C.
6-d. The two loops are treated as one, with two
rods, the core is being placed at C.
ADDITIONAL COMPARISON POINTS

Crease
- usually run
longitudinally
along the
length of the
finger.
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 ADDITIONAL COMPARISON POINTS

Flexure Line
-a permanent
crease in the skin at
the knuckles which
permits the skin to
flex when the finger
is extended.
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 CAUSES OF RIDGE DESTRUCTION
• Persons doing manual work - fingerprint of persons
who handle lime, cement, plaster or persons whose
hands are continually wet.
• Deceased person
• Warts
• Creases- caused by a folding of the skin
• Impressions appear as white lines crossing the
ridges
• Scar- result of a cut
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Fingerprint Classes
There are 3 specific classes for all fingerprints based
upon their visual pattern: arches, loops, and whorls.

Each group is divided into smaller groups

as seen in the lists below.

Arch Loop Whorl

Plain arch Radial Loop Plain whorl
Tented arch Ulnar loop Central pocket whorl
Double loop whorl
Accidental
Interesting Info
Fingerprint Factoid:
60% of people have loops, 35% have whorls,
and 5% have arches

Did you know?

Dactyloscopy is the study of fingerprint identification.
Police investigators are experts in collecting
“dactylograms”, otherwise known as fingerprints.
Arches
Arches are the simplest type of fingerprints that are formed by ridges that
enter on one side of the print and exit on the other. No deltas are present.
Spike or
“tent”

Plain Arch Tented Arches

Ridges enter on one side and Similar to the plain arch,
exit on the other side. but has a spike in the center.
Loops
Loops must have one delta and one or more ridges that enter and leave
on the same side. These patterns are named for their positions related
to the radius and ulna bones.

Delta

Ulnar Loop (Right Radial Loop (Right

Thumb) Thumb)
Loop opens toward Loop opens toward the
right or the ulna bone. left or the radial bone.

NOTE: On the left hand, a loop that opens to the left would be an ulnar
loop, while one that opens to the right would be a radial loop.
Whorls
Whorls have at least one ridge that makes (or tends to make) a complete
circuit. They also have at least two deltas. If a print has more than two
deltas, it is most likely an accidental.

Central
Plain
Pocket
Whorl
Whorl

Draw a line between the two deltas in the plain and central pocket
whorls. If some of the curved ridges touch the line, it is a plain whorl.
If none of the center core touches the line, it is a central pocket whorl.
Whorls – Part 2
Double Loop Whorl Accidental Whorl

Delta

Delta

Double loop whorls are Accidental whorls contain

made up of any two loops two or more patterns (not
combined into one print. including the plain arch), or
does not clearly fall under any
of the other categories.
Identify each fingerprint pattern.

Left Hand Right Hand

Right Hand

Right Hand Left Hand

 LEARNING EXERCISES

Basic Ridge Characteristics

Technical Parts of the Fingerprint Pattern
Rules in determining Type Lines
Rules in determining the Core
Rules in determining the Delta
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 Up next….

Pattern Interpretation

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