1Junior Resident Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh
2Professor Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh
3Professor & Head Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh
4Professor Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, AIIMSBathinda
*Corresponding Author: Dr. Amandeep Singh, Professor Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Government Medical College & Hospital, Chandigarh, E-mail: dramandeep@gmail.com Contact: +919646121610
Online published on 27 May, 2025.
Identification is the determination of the individuality or personality of a person, based on certain physical characteristics. Determination of sex is vital in establishing the identity of human remains and has always been a challenge for forensic investigation, particularly when a fingerprint recovered from crime scene does not match with any of those available in the records. Determination of the sex of an individual from fingerprint ridge density.
The present study was conducted on 400 individuals (201 males and 199 females) of Chandigarh population, aged above 18 years, to study the possibility of differentiation of gender using fingerprint ridge density. For calculating the finger print ridges, a square of 5 mm was drawn on radial end, ulnar end and lower end of fingerprint. The number of ridges of the fingerprints of each square were noted and mean value for total ridges of both thumbs from each individual was determined.
Results showed that women have a significantly higher fingerprint ridge density than men. Fingerprints having ridge density of <14/25 mm 2 are more likely to be that of a male, and one having ridge density of >14/25 mm 2 are more likely to be that of a female.
It was concluded that fingerprint ridge density can be used as a tool for sex determination.
Identification, Sex Determination, Fingerprint, Ridge Density
