Fingerprinting

Paper Summary:

This paper contends that the science of fingerprinting has been used for centuries in almost all areas of the world. From the prehistoric writing on hands in Nova Scotia to more than 46 million stored fingerprints in FBI files today, the history of fingerprinting is vast. The paper presents the history of fingerprinting and discusses how it has developed over the last several hundred years. The paper explores the development of technology in recording and comparing fingerprints. The paper states that, while fingerprint comparison has been challenged in the court systems because science has no proof that no two matches are alike, it is currently the best method for identification available.

From the Paper:

"Fingerprinting appears to have been an interesting topic even to prehistoric peoples of the world. In Nova Scotia, pictures of hands with ridge patterns on the palms and fingers were found painted on cave walls. In primeval Babylon, business transactions required fingerprints from those involved. Each person in the transaction placed a fingerprint on a clay tablet, according to ancient journals of the time. Even China, in ancient times, used thumb prints on clay seals (Meaney, 2003). It is obvious that even the ancient people of the world realized that fingerprints were different between different people. While they may not have realized their full potential, they did see at least limited use for the science."

More papers on Fingerprinting:

• Essay # 7095 : "Fingerprinting"
• Essay # 68656 : "DNA Fingerprinting"
• Essay # 63709 : "DNA Fingerprinting and Forensics"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: