A finger dermatoglyphic study of Maori

Fingerprints of 104 New Zealand Maori males and 98 females have been analyzed. Whorls are more abundant in females (55.0%) than in males (47.3%). The index of pattern intensity reveals a higher value in females (15.39) than in males (14.52). The bimanual differences both in males and females are not statistically significant for the occurrence of pattern on the digits of the right and left hands. The difference between the sexes in occurrence of patterns is not statistically significant. Incidences of actual symmetry on the homologous digits represented a mean of 78.8% in all subjects. The mean total ridge counts showed 161.7 in females and 159.6 in males, respectively. Thus, the Maori show greater affinities with the Mongoloids in quantitative dermatoglyphics