Dermotoglyphics in the Bribri and Cabear Amerindians from Costa Rica]

Digital and palmar dermatoglyphic patterns were analysed for 286 male and female Bribri and Cabecar Amerindians of Chibcha ascendancy from four populations located in southeastern Costa Rica. There was no significant difference among Pacific and Atlantic Cabecar samples, with the exception of the bc and cd ridge count. However, the Bribri groups present differences for 22 features, though the largest differences are between Bribri and Cabecar Pacific populations. A comparison with other Latin-American indians evidence that dermatoglyphic patterns of Bribri and Cabecar tribes are within the expected range, but it is important to notice the high frequency of digital arcs and the low frequency of worls. The results are similar to those observed using other genetic markers in the same populations, and demonstrate the discriminable capacity of the dermatoglyphics to tribal level for taxonomic and evolutionary studies.