(STUDY FINDS) – Scientists have found a gene that causes humans to have fingerprints. Interestingly, it has nothing to do with your skin! Scientists in China say this gene – responsible for the circular, wavy, or winding patterns on your fingertips – also fuels limb development.
The discovery could lead to new treatments for congenital disorders, including Down syndrome.
Fingerprints are best known as a cornerstone of criminal investigation. Courts have accepted them as evidence in trials for over a century. Researchers add that their distinctive shapes are unique to every individual on the planet. How they form has remained a mystery – until now. Study authors note their findings reveal a link between genes and people’s observable characteristics — or “phenotypical traits.”
