Test Bank for Fundamentals of Fingerprint
Analysis, 2e Daluz, Hillary Moses
Chapter 1
Introduction
Test Questions and Answers
1. Name and define the structures that make up palmar and plantar skin.
a. Friction ridges
b. Raised portions of the epidermis on the palmar or plantar skin consisting
of one or more connected ridge units
2. Why do humans and primates have friction ridge skin on hands and feet?
a. Provides friction to grip objects
b. Creates a rough, textured surface that provides resistance between our
hands and anything we touch
3. Where are friction ridges found?
a. Fingers, palms, feet and toes
b. Palmar and plantar surfaces
4. From where does the term “forensic” originate?
a. From the Latin word forensis, meaning “of the forum”
, b. In ancient Rome, criminal and civil cases were held in public at the forum,
or marketplace
5. What is forensic science?
a. Any science applied to legal matters
6. What is the final step in the analysis of all forensic evidence?
a. Courtroom testimony
7. What are the three major facets of forensic science?
a. To demonstrate whether or not a crime has been committed
b. To identify the individuals involved and how those individuals are
associated with other individuals and with the crime scene
c. To reconstruct the crime scene and the sequence of events that occurred
8. What is physical evidence?
a. Physical evidentiary items as well as forensic evidence such as
fingerprints, trace evidence, and DNA
9. What is integrity and why is it an important quality for a forensic scientist?
a. Integrity – having moral and ethical values (incorruptibility)
b. Forensic scientists must have personal and professional integrity in order
to analyze data and come to a conclusion without bias
10. What are class characteristics? Give six examples of class characteristics that
may be used to describe someone.
a. Features that place an individual or object in a group, or sub-category
b. Hair color, hair type, hair length, eye color, height, ethnicity, race, shoe
size, etc.
,11. Give three examples of forensic evidence that displays class characteristics.
a. Shoeprints
b. Fibers
c. Tire tracks
d. Blood typing
e. Firearms
f. Toolmarks
12. True or false: Fingerprint minutiae are class characteristics.
a. False
b. Fingerprint minutiae are individualizing characteristics.
13. True or false: Individualizing characteristics are those features that are unique
to one particular person or thing.
a. True
14. What are the three fingerprint pattern types?
a. Arches
b. Loops
c. Whorls
15. What are the subpatterns of loops?
a. Radial loops
b. Ulnar loops
16. What are the subpatterns of arches?
a. Plain arches
b. Tented arches
, 17. What are the subpatterns of whorls?
a. Plain whorls
b. Central pocket loop whorls
c. Double loop whorls
d. Accidentals
18. What are the three fingerprint minutiae types?
a. Ending ridges
b. Bifurcations
c. Short ridges
19. What is the shortest possible short ridge called?
a. Dot
20. What are the two main premises for the science of fingerprint identification?
a. Uniqueness
b. Persistence
21. What are the three possible conclusions of a fingerprint comparison? Explain
each conclusion.
a. Identification – the fingerprints come from a common source
b. Elimination – the fingerprints do not come from a common source
c. Inconclusive - a fingerprint can neither be conclusively identified nor
eliminated
22. True or false: Identical twins have identical fingerprints.
a. False
Analysis, 2e Daluz, Hillary Moses
Chapter 1
Introduction
Test Questions and Answers
1. Name and define the structures that make up palmar and plantar skin.
a. Friction ridges
b. Raised portions of the epidermis on the palmar or plantar skin consisting
of one or more connected ridge units
2. Why do humans and primates have friction ridge skin on hands and feet?
a. Provides friction to grip objects
b. Creates a rough, textured surface that provides resistance between our
hands and anything we touch
3. Where are friction ridges found?
a. Fingers, palms, feet and toes
b. Palmar and plantar surfaces
4. From where does the term “forensic” originate?
a. From the Latin word forensis, meaning “of the forum”
, b. In ancient Rome, criminal and civil cases were held in public at the forum,
or marketplace
5. What is forensic science?
a. Any science applied to legal matters
6. What is the final step in the analysis of all forensic evidence?
a. Courtroom testimony
7. What are the three major facets of forensic science?
a. To demonstrate whether or not a crime has been committed
b. To identify the individuals involved and how those individuals are
associated with other individuals and with the crime scene
c. To reconstruct the crime scene and the sequence of events that occurred
8. What is physical evidence?
a. Physical evidentiary items as well as forensic evidence such as
fingerprints, trace evidence, and DNA
9. What is integrity and why is it an important quality for a forensic scientist?
a. Integrity – having moral and ethical values (incorruptibility)
b. Forensic scientists must have personal and professional integrity in order
to analyze data and come to a conclusion without bias
10. What are class characteristics? Give six examples of class characteristics that
may be used to describe someone.
a. Features that place an individual or object in a group, or sub-category
b. Hair color, hair type, hair length, eye color, height, ethnicity, race, shoe
size, etc.
,11. Give three examples of forensic evidence that displays class characteristics.
a. Shoeprints
b. Fibers
c. Tire tracks
d. Blood typing
e. Firearms
f. Toolmarks
12. True or false: Fingerprint minutiae are class characteristics.
a. False
b. Fingerprint minutiae are individualizing characteristics.
13. True or false: Individualizing characteristics are those features that are unique
to one particular person or thing.
a. True
14. What are the three fingerprint pattern types?
a. Arches
b. Loops
c. Whorls
15. What are the subpatterns of loops?
a. Radial loops
b. Ulnar loops
16. What are the subpatterns of arches?
a. Plain arches
b. Tented arches
, 17. What are the subpatterns of whorls?
a. Plain whorls
b. Central pocket loop whorls
c. Double loop whorls
d. Accidentals
18. What are the three fingerprint minutiae types?
a. Ending ridges
b. Bifurcations
c. Short ridges
19. What is the shortest possible short ridge called?
a. Dot
20. What are the two main premises for the science of fingerprint identification?
a. Uniqueness
b. Persistence
21. What are the three possible conclusions of a fingerprint comparison? Explain
each conclusion.
a. Identification – the fingerprints come from a common source
b. Elimination – the fingerprints do not come from a common source
c. Inconclusive - a fingerprint can neither be conclusively identified nor
eliminated
22. True or false: Identical twins have identical fingerprints.
a. False
