Are there population differences in minutiae frequencies? A comparative study of two Argentinian population samples and one Spanish sample

In recent years, both scientific and judicial sources have highlighted the need for more knowledge about minutiae variability, in order to improve their statistical application to fingerprint identification. In line with this trend toward improving our knowledge of this subject, the aim of the prese...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gutiérrez Redomero, Esperanza|||0000-0001-6988-0868, Rivaldería Moreno, Noemí|||0000-0001-9128-857X, Alonso Rodríguez, María Concepción|||0000-0003-2175-4162, Martín Gómez, Luis, Dipierri, José Edgardo, Fernández Peire, Miguel Ángel, Morillo, R.E.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2012
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Alcalá (UAH)
Repositorio:e_Buah Biblioteca Digital Universidad de Alcalá
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ebuah.uah.es:10017/32139
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10017/32139
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forsciint.2012.07.003
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Fingerprints
Minutiae
Frequencies
Identification
Argentina population
Spanish population
Descripción
Sumario:In recent years, both scientific and judicial sources have highlighted the need for more knowledge about minutiae variability, in order to improve their statistical application to fingerprint identification. In line with this trend toward improving our knowledge of this subject, the aim of the present study was to calculate the frequency with which 20 types of minutiae appeared in 2780 fingerprint impressions obtained from 278 individuals from two Argentinian population samples (100 individuals from Ramal and 178 from Puna&-Quebrada). The different types of minutiae were located, identified, and quantified visually in two areas on the fingerprint, the inside and outside of a circle, the radius of which cut fifteen ridges perpendicularly, starting from the center cut of the axes defining the sectors. The non-equiprobability found in both population samples for the different minutiae types studied demonstrated that the evidential weight provided by these characteristics is not the same when applied in identification processes, whether used quantitatively (numerical standard) or qualitatively (holistic method). The results obtained for both populations were compared statistically with those published previously for a Spanish population sample, which had been collected using the same methodology. This comparison has enabled us to demonstrate, for the first time, the existence of significant differences between populations in minutiae frequencies, independently from the main pattern type.