Fróðskaparrit - 01.01.1979, Side 56

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Anthropological and Genetic Studies of the Faroese
ARCHES
Figure 2. Finger prints showing the three principal pattern types: arches,
loops and whorls.
loops and whorls are given in Figure 2. There are various sub-
types of arches and whorls, and loops are divided into ulnar
or radial depending on their orientation (radial loops are those
which open towards the thumb; ulnar loops those which open
away from the thumb).
Finger prints were collected from 297 Faroese, 156 males and
141 females. Fingers were numbered right (R) and left (L). I
(thumb) to V. Analysis revealed that the Faroese resemble other
populations in basic dermatoglyphic characteristics. Arches
were most commonly found on R II (17.2 °/o of individuals
had an arch on their right index finger) and L II (17.5 °/o)
and there was a similarly high frequency on L III (16.8 °/o).
Whorls were most frequent on R and L I (28.0 % and 18.9 °/o
respectively) and R and L IV (33.0 °/o and 23.6 °/o respec-
tively). R and L V bore ulnar loops with a frequency of about
90 °/o each. In common with other populations, the Faroese
women show a higher frequency of arches and lower fre-
quencies of whorls and radial loops than their menfolk. When
overail pattern type frequencies are compared to those of other
North Atlantic populations the Faroese in the study sample