Finger dermatoglyphics of Australian aborigines in the northern territory of Australia

Abstract

Fingerprints of 114 Australian Aboriginal males and 90 females have been analyzed. Whorls are more frequent in males (56.7%) than in females (51.2%) and loops are less frequent in males (42.6%) than in females (47.0%). The index of pattern intensity displays a higher value in males (15.60) than in females (14.94). The bimanual differences both in males and females are not statistically significant for the occurrence of patterns on the digits of the right and left hands. Also the difference between both sexes for the occurrence of patterns is not statistically significant. Inci-dences of actual symmetry on homologous digits represented 74.0% in males and 77.3% in females. The mean total ridge counts showed 156.65 ± 43.32 (M±SD) in males and 148.69±43.64 (M±SD) in females, respectively. Conclusively, this study represents that the Australian Aborigines conform closely to the Polynesians in finger dermatoglyphics.