Relationship between fingerprint patterns and blood types among science undergraduates in a Nigerian university

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between blood types and fingerprint patterns among biology undergraduates. A total of 1,150 students from the College of Science and Information Technology, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Ogun State, Nigeria was selected using simple random sampling. Data collection involved ink-based fingerprinting and self-reported ABO and Rh blood group classification. Results showed that blood type O was the most common (489), followed by A (321), B (233), and AB (46). Rh-positive individuals accounted for 960, while Rh-negative individuals were 129. Among fingerprint patterns, loops were the most prevalent (7,918), followed by whorls (2,264), and arches (1,318). Loops were more common among females (5,623) than males (2,295), while whorls and arches also showed higher female representation. No participants had the AB-negative blood type. Furthermore, the data revealed a higher prevalence of O+ (449), followed by A+ (278) and B+ (187). The rarest patterns included A- (43), B- (46), and O- (40). A chi-square test showed a significant association between blood group and fingerprint pattern distribution (χ² = 0.000). However, no direct relationship was found between gender and fingerprint pattern beyond general distribution trends. These findings suggest a potential genetic influence in the co-distribution of fingerprint patterns and blood groups, with loops being most frequent across all blood types, particularly among those with blood types O and A. This study provides baseline data for future research and contributes to forensic and biometric science, particularly in contexts where combined fingerprint and blood group data may aid personal identification.