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FINGERPRINTING A CHIMPANZEE AND A

KOALA: ANIMAL DERMATOGLYPHICS CAN
RESEMBLE HUMAN ONES

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 FINGERPRINTING A CHIMPANZEE AND A KOALA: ANIMAL
DERMATOGLYPHICS CAN RESEMBLE HUMAN ONES.
M Henneberg, Kosette M Lambert, CM Leigh

Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005

Although finger print patterns are commonly used in forensic practice there are
still major uncertainties regarding their function, evolutionary origin and
reasons for existing differences between individuals. The study of all areas of
ridged skin - fingers, toes, palms and soles attempts to provide answers. The
existence of human-like dermatoglyphic patterns on hands and feet of apes and
other primates is well known. It seems to be an adaptation to climbing trees.
Presence of true dermatoglyphic patterns in a marsupial climber - koala has not
been hitherto described in the literature. We have studied bare areas of the skin
on digits, palms and soles of a 46 yrs old female chimpanzee and an adult male
koala using the standard ink printing and scanning electron microscopy. The
entire digits, palms and soles of a chimpanzee are covered with ridges similar
in size and density to human ones. They, however, form distinct tented arch
patterns on fingertips that are clearly different from human patterns.
Arrangements of dermatoglyphs on palms and soles are similar to human ones.
In the koala the skin is covered either by papillary ridges of the size, shape and
arrangement very similar to humans or by warts - islets of dermal papillae
separated by grooves. Some warts tend to be organised in streams similar to
sets of parallel ridges. On hands and feet of the koala we have observed
presence of whorls (first pedal digits), arches (most manual and pedal digits)
and loops (one manual digit and a thenar). Whorls and loops were flanked by
triradii similar to those observed in humans.

The presence of dermatoglyphic patterns very similar to human ones in animals

even as remote from ourselves as marsupials is an example of independent
evolution of the same skin adaptation to climbing. It is of forensic significance
to know that finger prints left by animals can strongly resemble human prints.

Introduction

The existence of dermatoglyphic patterns similar to those occurring on human hands and feet, on the hands and feet of
apes and other primates is well known [1]. These patterns seem to occur on any skin that is habitually used to hold
onto objects. For example, the ventral side of prehensile tails of spider monkeys (Ateles ater) is covered with ridged
skin similar to that on primate hands and feet. The existence of dermal ridges, and consequently dermatoglyphic
patterns on tactile areas of skin of other animals is not clear. Pads occurring on front and hind paws of some rodents
and carnivores seem to have skin surface covered by localised elevations ("warts") or longer elevations resembling
ridges [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

Ridge configuration in humans is known to be determined by genetic and environmental factors. Evidence suggests
that the maternal environment and other intrauterine factors may be more important than foetal or maternal
genotypes [8]. In primates, including humans, dermal ridge differentiation occurs during early fetal development [9,
10, 11]. The development of dermal elevations on rat paws also occurs during the perinatal period [6]. There are
still major uncertainties regarding the function, evolutionary origin and reasons for the existing differences between
dermal ridge configurations among individuals and among groups of animals.

Two kinds of hypotheses regarding dermatoglyphic similarities between individuals and/or species can be
considered: (1) dermatoglyphic similarities, due to high heritability of dermatoglyphic patterns, are an expression of
genetic similarities, (2) dermatoglyphic similarities, due to dermatoglyphic pattern configuration being dependent
on the morphology of underlying structures, are an expression of functional, biomechanical similarities. Which of
these two hypotheses is a closer approximation to reality can hardly be tested by comparing individuals within the
same species. Although these individuals' hands, feet and sometimes prehensile tails, perform similar
biomechanical functions, this similarity of functions may partly be due to large genetic similarity between
conspecifics. The hypothesis (1) can be falsified by showing similarity of dermatoglyphic patterns of clearly
separate taxa, and corroborating the hypothesis (2) by showing similarity of dermatoglyphic patterns of individuals
with similar morphology of volar areas even if they are taxonomically very diverse.
Comparative observations of humans, non-human primates and rodents suggests that the morphology of the volar
surface 'determines' the arrangement of the ridges [7]. If this is the case, we can reasonably expect that any area of
skin used for climbing, grasping or similar activities, of any mammal will be covered with dermal ridges whose
configuration will be similar if the morphology of underlying part of hand, foot or tail is similar. In the same vein,
skin areas covering parts of different configuration will differ in their dermatoglyphic patterns.

Methods and Materials

Dermatoglyphs of koalas (Phascolarctus cinereus) and a chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) were studied and compared
to human dermatoglyphs. Three male koalas were obtained from local veterinary clinics in Adelaide Hills area.
Two were fully adult, one was a juvenile of about 18-24 months of age. All specimens were dead for less than 24
hours before examination of their bare skin areas. Male koalas are more venturesome than females and thus more
often get accidentally injured and killed. The bare areas of the skin on digits, palms and soles of a 46 years old
female chimpanzee were also studied. Observations were collected in this case approximately 12 hours after death.
Standard ink printing of dermatoglyphs was used to determine patterns. Prints were made using a glass plate, a 100
mm wide roller and black ink. Dermatoglyphic patterns, ridge density and ridge counts were observed following
methods described by [1].

Details of the morphology of the dermal ridges were also examined by preparing resin casts for scanning electron
microscopy (Phillips FEG SEM XL 30). Impressions of the skin surface were prepared using Latex (GC
Hydrophilic Exaflex, Type I, Medium viscosity). The latex impressions were then filled with the resin (Taab
TK3) which was allowed to polymerise at 600C for 24 hours. Finally the casts were mounted on stubs and
coated with 20 nm carbon/Platinum and examined by a FEG SEM XL 30 microscope at 16x and 129x
magnifications.

Results
The surface of the adult male koalas' front and hind paws was covered by either papillary ridges of the size,
shape and arrangement similar to humans, or by warts - islets of dermal papillae separated by grooves (Fig. 1). The
warts tend to be organised in streams similar to sets of parallel ridges (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1. Left big toe of a male adult koala (AMK 596-1) showing dermal ridges, warts and their patterns.
Fig. 2. Left manus of a male adult koala (AMK 596-1) showing ridge pattern on fingertips and
linear organisation of warts in the subdigital area of the paw.

The ridge density on fmgertips of koalas calculated as the number of dermal ridges crossing a one centimeter long
line roughly perpendicular to ridge direction is shown in Table 1. With the small sample size of koalas it is only
possible to say that their ridge density is similar to that observed in humans, but tends to be lower than that
observed in the one chimpanzee we examined.

Table 1. Ridge density on fingertips of koalas, a chimpanzee and humans. The density is expressed as
the number of dermal ridges per one centimeter.

Animal N
No. of ridges crossing a std
1 cm line (AVERAGE)
Koala 3 12.35 2.74
Chimpanzee 1 22.70 2.30
Human (12] _ 909 11.41 2.87
Similarity between human and koala ridge size is well illustrated by scanning electron micrographs (Fig 3).

Fig. 3. Scanning electron micrographs of the surface of human (a, c) and koala (b, d) ridged skin at two
magnifications. Note similarity of ridge size and surface morphology, and minutiae on the koala print.

As can be seen in Figure 4, koalas can possess whorls, arches and loops on their fingertips. The whorls and loops
were flanked by triradii similar to those observed in humans. Loops and whorls in koalas seem to be less frequent
than in humans (Table 2), but our sample size is too small to form any reliable opinion.
Fig. 4. Examples of dermatoglyphic figures on koalas toes and fingertips a) pedal digit I b) manual
digit IV
Table 2. Dermatoglyphic patterns on toe and fingertips of 3 koalas and a chimpanzee studied.

In contrast to humans, in koalas the specific patterns occur more proximally on distal segments of digits, the
majority of the area of those segments is covered by parallel curved ridges resembling ridges in the most distal
parts of human digits. Thus, the dermatoglyphic patterns lie closer to the flexion crease and consist of a smaller
number of ridges than in humans. For this reason simple figures seem to predominate. Minutiae are common and
consist mostly of terminations and series of broken ridges in keeping with the tendency to form warts. Bifurcations
and "eyelets" also occur. Although most of the skin on palms and soles of koalas is covered by warts, ridges occur
in some areas. Moreover, warts sometimes show discernible linear organisation. Ridges or linear streams of warts
displaying characteristic dermatoglyphic patterns: arches, loops, triradii and possible whorls (Table 3). It seems,
that koala patterns are related to morphology of its digits, palms and soles.
Table 3. Dermatoglyphic patterns on the palms and soles of 3 koalas and a chimpanzee studied.

The entire digits, palms and soles of the chimpanzee are covered with ridges (Fig 5). The ridge density in the
specimen studied here seems to be higher than in humans (Table 1).
Fig. 5. Examples of dermal ridge patterns in a 46 yrs old female chimpanzee (AFC 596-1) a) manual digit II
b) subdigital area of right hand. Print shows area under the 3rd, 4th and 5th fingers. Note distal loop.

On the fingertips the ridges form distinct tented arch patterns which are clearly different from human ones; they are
much longer and possess a very well defined central ridge or set of ridges. The arrangement of the ridges on the
palms and soles of the chimpanzee is, however, similar to those arrangements seen in humans. Typically there is a
triradius at the base of each finger and loops occur on various areas of the palms (Table 3).
Discussion
Our observations on koala dermatoglyphics differ from those of earlier authors [3, 4, 6, 7] who reported that only
small portions of koala fingertips are covered by ridges, the majority of the tactile skin being covered by warts.
These authors, however observed a single specimen each, and in the case of [3] the specimen was a juvenile. Prints
presented here leave little doubt as to the presence of complex dermatoglyphic patterns and triradii in koalas. They
also show that ridges cover areas larger than just tops of fingertips. The warts and ridges are to a certain extent
intermixed and cover different proportions of skin in various individuals. Wart-like interrupted skin ridges occur
also in humans [13]. It is interesting that [13] found wart-like features on the palms and fingers of Australian people.
It may be that their lifestyle predisposes them to ridge dissociation.

Presence of true dermatoglyphic patterns in a marsupial climber - koala - has not previously been described in the
literature. Line drawings (Figs 140, 141, p.184-185) in [4], however, show the fingertips of koalas (i.e. segments
extending from the most distal crease to the tip of the digit) to be covered entirely by more-or-less parallel ridges,
whilst the remainder of the skin is covered by warts. This is shown in the figures for both the manus and the pes.
Arch patterns are evident on every digit of the manus, whilst tips of pedal digits are depicted as covered simply by
ridges perpendicular to the long axis of a digit with the exception of the first one where an arch is drawn. [4] did
not comment on the presence of human-like dermal ridges, but simply noted 'the apical pads are present and
striated' (p. 183).

The presence of tall tented arches, quite different from human ones in the chimpanzee specimen studied here is not
unusual. Illustrations and descriptions in [14] show the same tented arch patterns. The tented arch arrangement has
been reported to occur in human populations at a rather low frequency of 0.2 to 0.8% [1, 12, 15]. Human tented
arches are moreover much shorter in their proximal-distal dimension than chimpanzee patterns. Therefore we
propose to separate the common chimpanzee pattern, that we call Chimpanzee Tented Arch (CTA) from the classic
human one (I'). A typical CTA is illustrated in the Fig. 5. It seems from the illustrations in [1] and [14] that orang-
utans also tend to have CTA-s on their fingertips. An obvious conclusion is that morphological configuration of
elongated distal phalanges of chimpanzees and orangs is related to the common presence of tall tented arches in
contrast to shorter human fingertips.

It has been suggested that dermal ridges enhance skin friction [2, 16]. It would seem logical then that koalas who
spend most of their lives climbing trees as they feed on the foliage would benefit from having ridges and warts on
their digits, palms and soles. In most arboreal marsupials, apical pad ridges, where present, run mostly parallel to
the digital axis [16], however, [17] argued that this fact refutes the friction-increase hypothesis, since such axially
oriented ridges cannot oppose the backward thrust of the digits in locomotion [16].

The presence of dermatoglyphic patterns very similar to human ones in animals even as remote from ourselves as
marsupials may be an example of independent evolution of the same skin adaptation to climbing. It may still,
however, be argued that the ridged tactile skin covered with dermatoglyphic patters consistent with the three-
dimensional configuration of underlying pads is a primitive mammalian characteristics that evolved before the split
between marsupials and placentals occurred. This is highly likely since it is generally assumed that the earliest
mammals were arboreal. The theoretical argument notwithstanding it is of forensic significance to know that
fingerprints left by animals can strongly resemble human ones.

REFERENCES

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Publications, Inc., New York (1961).

2. I.L. Whipple, The Ventral Surface of the Mammalian Chiridium; with special reference to the conditions
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3. J. Dankmeijer, Zur biologischen Anatomie der Hautleisten bei den Beuteltieren, Gegenbaurs
morphologisches Jahrbuch, vol 82, (1938) pp 293-312.

4. F. Wood Jones, The Mammals of South Australia, AB James, Adelaide (1923-25).

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8. D.Z. Loesch and B. Pryzbyla, Dermatoglyphic Variation and Weight and Length at Birth, American
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12. R.G. Harvey and D. Suter, Digital Dermatoglyphics of the Faroe Islands, American Journal of Physical
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13. D. Loesch, Some Dermatoglyphic Features of Australian Aboriginals From Mornington Island, American
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S.L. Washburn, (ed) Classification and Human Evolution, Methuen and Co. Ltd., London (1964) pp
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15. H.J. Grace and F.E. Ally, Dermatoglyphic Features of South African Coloureds, Human Heredity, vol
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