A family study of dermatoglyphic traits in India: resolution of genetic and environmental effects for manus, pes and total pattern ridge counts in man

Abstract

Various constructed ridge count phenotypes were studied in two endogamous populations from peninsular India. Heritabilities were estimated for five summed pattern ridge count traits: fingers and toes together; palms and soles together; fingers and palms together (manus); toes and soles together (pes); and fingers, palms, toes and soles together, defined as the total ridge count in man. In general, these phenotypes were found to he highly heritable, with the summed ridge counts for fingers and toes, and total ridge count showing almost Complete determination by additive polygenes. Total manus and pes pattern counts are less heritable. Little or no uterine environmental effects were detected for any of these phenotypes.