Something is missing...

Something Missing

It may seem foreign, but today I learned that there are people in the world with such diseases whom do not have fingerprints. There are two diseases that result in the persons lacking of fingerprints. Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Thomas Jefferson University report that defects in the protein keratin 14 may be responsible for both diseases, known as Naegeli syndrome and dermatopathia pigmentosa reticularis (DPR). Other symptoms include thickening of palms and soles of feet. Patients suffer from anomalies in the development of their teeth, hair, and skin, where pigmentation can appear patchy and uneven. This often causes abnormalities in the ability to sweat, which can lead to heat strokes as well as general overheating which is considered to be very dangerous to the carrier of these diseases.

In terms of our project and the field as a whole, this leaves scientists and analysts with no way to identify such persons other than DNA testing. In the police and investigation field, this could prohibit or at the very least, slow the process. There are other ways to identify criminals, however, because there are some criminals who burn their fingerprints in order to prevent authorities from identifying them.

Source: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060922-fingerprints_2.html