| Abstract: | Hand prints of 146 Florida Seminoles were obtained at the Brighton, Big Cypress and Dania reservations and at the Indian Agency in Dania. Comparisons with other tribes of North American Indians (Comanche, Arapahoe, Navaho, Hopi and Pueblo) reveal similarities with respect to fingerprint indices, frequencies of patterns in all palmar areas, and transverseness of palmar ridges. Comparisons of Seminoles and other North American tribes with the Mayans of southern Mexico and Guatamala show striking differences in pattern frequencies in the thenar/first interdigital area of the palm. Among North American Indians, the frequency varies from 18.49% among Seminoles to 28.5% among Navahoes, whereas all Mayan tribes which have been studied range between 40 and 50%. Pattern frequencies are higher in the thenar/first interdigital area than in the hypothenar area among all Amerindians who have been tested. This trend is the reverse of that found in other racial groups. North, Central and South American Indians are similar with respect to relatively high finger pattern indices, low frequencies of patterns in the hypothenar area, low frequencies of accessory triradii in the interdigital areas and moderately transverse palmar ridges. |
