Minerva Medica

This Handbook refers to Dactyloscopy (also called Fingerprint Study or Friction Ridge Study). For more than a century, fingerprints have been useful in a wide range of applications, because they can be used for identification due to fundamental principles: immutability in the course of life (they are permanent) and uniqueness because always different (they are individual). In forensics, there are very large databases that allow the recognition of aliases, traces found at a crime scene and unknown bodies. /This Handbook is organized into 4 Sections: 1) Toolbox, 2) Known Prints, 3) Latent Prints, 4) Other Fields. The first concerns basic knowledge of the field, i.e., history, anatomy, embryology and the morphology of the friction ridges of the finger, hand and foot. The second concerns personal identification, including print-taking techniques and search procedures. The third concerns latent prints, including the analysis and comparison of traces found at a crime scene. Finally, the fourth concerns different fields such as deceased and missing persons, at¬tempts to counterfeit fingerprints, biometric recognition, cross-border service applica¬tions and the use of fingerprints in archaeology and anthropology. It is divided into 25 Chapters. CONTENTS/SECTION1 /History /Introduction /Prehistoric Hands /Ancient Marks /Forerunners /From Anthropometry to Dactyloscopy /Italian Way /Development of Dactyloscopy /References /Hand and skin /Introduction /Hand /Skin /Glands /Skin and its States /Friction Skin /References /Embryogenesis of friction ridges /Introduction /Development of Friction Ridges /Configuration of the Friction Ridge Patterns /References /Fingerprints /Introduction /General Characteristics (Level 1) /Pattern Types /Particular Characteristics (Level 2) /Microscopic Characteristics (Level 3) /References /Lower phalange prints (lower joints) /Introduction /Morphological Description /Identification Value /References /Palmprints /Introduction /Presumptive Negative Aspects /Overview /Morphological Description /References /Soleprints /Introduction /Short Anatomical Description /Soleprints and Footprints /Overview /Morphological Description /Identification Value /References /Friction ridge disorders (poor quality prints) /Introduction /Permanent or Temporary Effects /Causes /References /SECTION2 /Recording criminal methods /Introduction /Identity and Identification /False Statements (Aliases) /Recording Systems and their Evolution /References /Taking known prints /Introduction /Taking by Ink /Taking by Live Scan /Other Techniques /Summary Chart /References /Recognition by manual classifications /Introduction /Ten-Print Classifications /Five-Print Classifications /Single-Finger Classifications /Palmprint Classifications /Others /References /Recognition by AFIS /Introduction /Historical Note /Databases /Main Processes /Pre-Post AFIS /Problems /References /SECTION3/Crime scene investigation and collection of evidence /Introduction /Crime Scene Inspection /Fundamental Principles /Traces /Documentation /References /Latent print states /Introduction /Evidence Prints /Evidence Prints (Differently Papillary) /References /Latent print development /Introduction /Development (in general) /Development (in specific) /References /Latent print reversed /Introduction /Reversal /Latent Print States and Reversal /Reversal in relation to Lifting Techniques /References /Analysis /Introduction /Approaches /Requirements /Analysis Procedures /Problems /References /Comparison /Introduction /Comparison Types /Comparison Procedures /Problems /References /Latent print recognition by AFIS and APIS /Introduction /Databases /Main Processes /Pre-Post AFIS and APIS /Problems /References /Evaluation and verification /Introduction /Evaluation /Verification /Court Exhibit /Approaches/Guarding Against Error /References /SECTION 4 /Identifying the deceased and missing persons /Introduction /Historical Background /Stages of Death /Taking Impressions /Search Procedures /Mass Disasters /Missing Persons /References /Attempts to counterfeit fingerprints /Introduction /Attempts to Prevent Recognition /Attempts by Fake Prints /Attempts by Forged Prints /Attempts to Not Place Prints /References /Biometric recognition /Introduction /Historical Background /Biometrics and Recognition /Biometric Fingerprint Recognition /Errors /Applications /Immigration and Cross-Border Service Applications /Civilian Fingerprinting Extension /References /Dactyloscopy and archaeology /Introduction /Fields /Purposes /Overview /Controversies /References /Dactyloscopy and anthropology /Introduction /Fields /Other Fields /Purposes /Overview /Controversies /References