Science Fair Projects
With Finger Prints and Genetics

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Jason
4th Grade - Age 9
Colorado, USA

The following project has been submitted to the Online Science Fair Contest, 2007, hosted by Super Science Fair Projects.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this project is to find out if fingerprint patterns are inherited like eye color, hair color and other genetic characteristics.

HYPOTHESIS:

I don’t believe fingerprint patterns are inherited.

Procedure:
I made fingerprint cards to hold the prints of each person tested. I labeled the card with the 5 finger names and “right” (for right hand). I took fingerprints from all 5 fingers of the right hand from 7 families of four (two parents, two children). I took all the fingerprints using the same method.

I used a magnifying glass to examine each fingerprint and classify it as:

A = Arch
LL = Left Loop
RL = Right Loop
W = Whorl

Next, I charted each family’s patterns. I compared the mother’s fingerprints to each child’s and recorded the number of matches out of ten possible matches. Then I compared the father’s fingerprints to each child’s and recorded those matches out of ten possible matches. I did the same thing for a random sample of families. The random sample consisted of 7 groups of unrelated people. Each group had a mother, father and two children.

RESULTS:

The families had 66 matches out of a possible 140 matches or 47%. The random sample had 74 matches out of 140 matches or 53%.

CONCLUSION:

The random sample actually had more matches than the families. This would support my hypothesis that fingerprint patterns are not hereditary.