Distribution of papillary Patterns on the middle and proximal Phalanges of Brahmins of Rajasthan

Summary

After a careful study and analysis of the various patterns observed on the middle and proximal phalanges on 600 fingers the Author comes to the following tentative conclusions.

1. As it is evident from table I, fingers II, III, IV show a great variability of patterns and among them III and IV have as many patterns as 20 each, while the least degree of variability is observed on thumb, the first finger, which shows only 5 types of patterns. The fifth finger shows 10 different types of patterns. The above number is obtained while counting the pattern present on right and left hands.

2. Among the main types, the pattern Hook predominate exhibiting the percentile frequency of 37.128. Patterns Straight are second in order of preponderance showing the percentile frequency of 24.999. Arches are definitely higher (12.777%) as compared to Enclosures which are 10.554%.

3. The patterns Hook and Straights are more common on fingers I and V, while Arches, Arch Angle and Enclosures are monopoly of digits, II, III and IV.

4. In general it is observed that digits I, II, III bear the patterns which open more frequently on the radial side whereas digits IV and V show the patterns opening on the ulnar side — a natural mechanism which helps a lot in grasping.

5. Comparing the different right-left symmetrical combinations on the finger phalanges of homologous right-left fingers it is observed that digits II, III, and V exhibit a lower number of symmetrical combinations as compared to digit IV, indicating thereby more symmetry in digits I, II, V as compared to digit IV.

6. Comparing the percentile frequencies of various main patterns it can be surmised with certainty that in most of the pattern frequencies Brahmins resemble more to Chinese than to Germans. However, further investigations on these research lines and on many other groups, will not only add to our knowledge but will also help in the race stratification.