The application of dermatoglyphics as a method for the characteristic of the personality traits for the purpose of the forensic medical identification expertise

Abstract

The authors report a case of forensic medical expertise demonstrating the potential of the dermatoglyphic technique as a tool for the identification of the personality traits of unknown individuals including their race and ethnic background, biological age, constitutional characteristics, congenital and acquired pathologies and injuries. It was shown that the results of the dermatoglyphic studies agree with and complement the data obtained with the help of a set of traditional forensic medical investigations, such as urological, odontoscopic, and roentgenological ones. An important advantage of the dermatoglyphic techniques is the possibility of their application under conditions when the choice and the use of the alternative methods are limited by the specific features of the objects of forensic medical expertise and the lack of time.