Publication detail

Radioulnar Contrasts in Fingerprint Ridge Counts: Searching for Dermatoglyphic Markers of Early Sex Development

POLCEROVÁ, L. CHOVANCOVÁ, M. KRÁLÍK, M. BEŇUŠ, R. KLÍMA, O. MEINEROVÁ, T. ČUTA, M. PETROVÁ, M.

Original Title

Radioulnar Contrasts in Fingerprint Ridge Counts: Searching for Dermatoglyphic Markers of Early Sex Development

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Objectives  Using prenatally fixed dermatoglyphics features as markers of prenatal sex development is limited due to insufficient knowledge on their sex differences. This study aims to examine more thoroughly sex differences in radioulnar contrasts.  Methods  Fingerprints of 360 females and 331 males from 4 samples of different ethnic backgrounds (Czechs, Slovaks, Vietnamese and Lusatian Sorbs) were studied. On both hands, finger ridge-counts were recorded, and all possible radioulnar contrasts were computed as a difference between ridge-count at a radial position minus ridge-count at a respective ulnar position on the hand. Radioulnar contrasts with population-congruent and numerically large dimorphism were selected and the dimorphism of the selected radioulnar contrasts was then tested using nonparametric analysis of variance. Results  Greater dimorphism of radioulnar contrasts occurred on the right hand than on the left hand. Population congruent direction and relatively strong dimorphism (Cohen's d greater than 0.3) was found in six radioulnar contrasts on the right hand, all of which involved the radial ridge-count of the 2nd finger. Of these, the highest average dimorphism was observed for the difference between the radial ridge-count of the 2nd finger and the ulnar ridge-count of the 4th finger (2r4u contrast), where the average effect size from all 4 population samples was comparable to a published average effect size of the 2D4D finger length ratio. Conclusion  We propose that 2r4u contrast of ridge-counts could serve as a marker of prenatal sexual development targeting a temporally narrow developmental window.

Keywords

dermatoglyphics, radioulnar contrast, prenatal sex development, fingerprints

Authors

POLCEROVÁ, L.; CHOVANCOVÁ, M.; KRÁLÍK, M.; BEŇUŠ, R.; KLÍMA, O.; MEINEROVÁ, T.; ČUTA, M.; PETROVÁ, M.

Released

28. 4. 2022

ISBN

1520-6300

Periodical

American Journal of Human Biology

Year of study

34

Number

5

State

United States of America

Pages from

1

Pages to

15

Pages count

15

URL

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajhb.23695

BibTex

@article{BUT175851,
  author="POLCEROVÁ, L. and CHOVANCOVÁ, M. and KRÁLÍK, M. and BEŇUŠ, R. and KLÍMA, O. and MEINEROVÁ, T. and ČUTA, M. and PETROVÁ, M.",
  title="Radioulnar Contrasts in Fingerprint Ridge Counts: Searching for Dermatoglyphic Markers of Early Sex Development",
  journal="American Journal of Human Biology",
  year="2022",
  volume="34",
  number="5",
  pages="1--15",
  doi="10.1002/ajhb.23695",
  issn="1520-6300",
  url="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajhb.23695"
}