Humans, Marsupials, and Fingerprints
People who watch or read about crime know the importance of fingerprints, and that no two can be alike. The study of fingerprints is dactyloscopy . You may notice a similarity between that word and Pterodactylus, which is derived from the Greek for "winged finger". It may be a surprise to learn that some marsupials have fingerprints. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Joseph C Boone ( CC BY-SA 4.0 ) There are marsuipials that have similar characteristics to us, but not all. Those that need the raised ridges have them. (Go ahead, look at your fingers and see how some parts are raised in patters.) These help them to get a grip. Our Creator provided for not only us, but for critters in their unique habitats. With only three types of fingerprint patterns, what makes every individual unique? These patterns are distinguished by tiny details called minutiae. Just one fingerprint has over 150 minutiae characteristics. . . unlike anyone else in the world who lived in the past, is al