ABSTRACT
Knowledge about the history of fingerprint analysis is critical to understanding current trends in the field as well as putting into context future scientific developments. Attorneys may ask the forensic expert about the history of his or her field of study in a court of law. Latent print and tenprint professional certification examinations and proficiency tests often also contain historical questions. Many historical figures and events have shaped the course of the fingerprint sciences. Most notably, the abolition of the minimum point standard for fingerprint identification; the advent of the computer, and consequently the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS); the Daubert judicial decision governing the admissibility of scientific evidence; and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report outlining recommendations for strengthening the forensic sciences. This laboratory exercise explores historical figures and criminal record systems, as well as modern paradigm shifts that have shaped the science of fingerprint analysis.
