Fingerprint Correlation Between Twins

Abstract

CODY BARNES, KRISTY HENSON, MARK FLOOD, Department of Natural Sciences, Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV, 26201 Fingerprint correlation between identical twins 

When teaching about the uniqueness of fingerprints it is commonly said that identical twin fingerprint characteristics are not identical however, limited research has been conducted to determine if there are any correlations between similar print characteristics. In the recent past unrelated individuals have been misidentified based on fingerprint similarities in forensics cases and this may be more likely among twins. This research case study’s objective is to determine if there are any correlations between fingerprint characteristics of identical twins and the probability of misidentification. Identical twin fingerprints were rolled and collected onto 10 print cards then blindly analyzed using Henry Classification, AFIS, and NCIC techniques. Preliminary results indicate a strong relationship between characteristics, but it is not significant (0.49; p = 0.35); fingerprint characteristics between hands were not significantly different (R: p = 0.75, L: p = 0.24). Results indicate there could be a possibility of misidentification, but more twin fingerprints should be analyzed.