ABSTRACT
Knowledge of the history of fingerprint analysis is critical to understand how the science developed in order to put current research and future developments into context. Fingerprint examiners must be able to testify to questions about the history of their science in a court of law, and answer historical questions on certification examinations. This chapter addresses historical figures, classification schemes such as anthropometry and the advent and development of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). New to this edition is an exploration of the major paradigm shifts that have changed the culture and practice of fingerprint examination: the abolition of the minimum point standard, the advent of AFIS, the Daubert judicial decision, and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report.
