Dermatoglyphic traits as possible markers of developmental processes in humans

Here we provide data on the relationship in variability between common anthropometric characters (stature, interocular diameter, mesosternal chest circumference, bi-trochanteric diameter, and palm length) and dermatoglyphic traits in groups of young healthy individuals. Our working hypothesis was that quantitative variables of fluctuating asymmetry, diversity, and variability involving dermatoglyphic traits, will be higher in more homozygous groups than in heterozygous ones. It was found that individuals who were in the center (average +/- 0.67 SD) of the morphological trait distribution (and therefore perhaps more heterozygous at loci determining the aforementioned morphological traits), have reduced fluctuating asymmetry in their ridge counts (RC). These heterozygous individuals tended to have lower values of the RC-diversity-indices and the Shanon information-measures of discrete digital patterns. On the basis of the present results and a large body of literature data, the use of dermatoglyphic traits as "markers" of developmental processes are discussed.