RIDGE PATH AND
IMBRICATIONS
TARGET LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• At the end of the lesson, students must be able to:
• Identify and describe the different types of fingerprint ridge
patterns, emphasizing the role of ridge imbrication in pattern
formation.
• Understand the developmental process of fingerprint ridge
imbrication during fetal development and its persistence
throughout an individual's life.
• Recognize the practical applications of fingerprint ridge
imbrication in forensic investigations, such as individual
identification and crime scene analysis.
• Friction ridge breath – size of the ridges
• Ridge units and pores – each ridge unit has one
sweat gland and a pore opening randomly
somewhere on its surface
• Specific ridge path and friction ridge imbrications –
PAPILLARY direction of the specific ridges
RIDGES • Incipient friction ridges – narrow and often
fragmented ridges may appear between normal
friction ridges. These are called incipient,
rudimentary or nascent ridges.
• Overall friction ridge pattern – the general
patterns of fingerprint
RECURVING
RIDGE
CONVERGING
RIDGE
(CONVERGENCE)
DIVERGING
RIDGE
(DIVERGENCE)
CIRCUITING RIDGE
(WHORLING RIDGE)
Ridge Characteristics;
Typelines and Focal
Points
• General characteristics refer to the similar or generic
characteristics that are present to a particular family or
type of pattern of a fingerprint. This pertains to the
patterns such as Loops, Whorls and Arches.
GC vs IC • Individual characteristics refer to the distinct
characteristics that are present to a single fingerprint.
This pertains to the minutiae or Galton’s details.
RIDGE
CHARACTERISTICS
ENDING RIDGE
• A ending ridge is one end of a
long island. The island is long
enough that the ends are not
easily recognized as being from
the same island.
BIFURCATION
• A bifurcation is where the ridge
path divides forming a Y shape
with legs having the same
length.
DOT OR ISLAND
• A ridge dot, one ridge unit, is the
shortest of all islands and the
building block of the friction
ridge.
LAKE / ENCLOSURE
• An enclosure or lake is a
bifurcation which does but
remain open but which the legs
of the bifurcation after running
alongside for a short distance
come together to form a single
ridge once more.
HOOK / SPUR
• A hook or spur is where the
ridge path divides and one
branch comes to an end (leg is
shorter).
INCIPIENT RIDGE
• An incipient ridge is an unusual
type of ridge found in small
percentage of patterns. They are
short, narrow and badly formed
ridges found between two well-
formed and full-bodied ridges
which is frequently interrupted.
SHORT RIDGE
• A short ridge has two or more
ridge units with both ends easily
recognized as being from the
same island.
RIDGE BRIDGE
• A ridge bridge is a connecting
ridge between two ridges.
DOUBLE BIFURCATION
• -A double bifurcation is a
bifurcation where one of the
ridge paths bifurcates.
TRIFURCATION
• A trifurcation is when two
bifurcations develop next to
each other on the same ridge.
This is a unique formation.
OPPOSED BIFURCATION
• An opposed bifurcation are
bifurcations found on both ends
of a ridge.
RIDGE CROSSING
• A ridge crossing is the point
where two ridges cross each
other forming an X formation.
OVERLAPPING RIDGE
• An overlapping ridge is where
tow ridges ends meet and
overlap on a bias.
