There are lots of different types of fingerprint patterns, but they all have one thing in common: your mum will go ballistic when she finds them on the wallpaper.
The main fingerprint patterns are shown below.
[1] Well, why not? They're the experts, for goodness sake!
Modern uses of fingerprints
Jam, paint, grease or ink - fingerprints continue to play a vital role in ruining soft furnishings, home decorations and plate glass windows.
Their use has also spread to the field of police detective work. Many criminals have been successfully identified and then prosecuted after leaving their prints or 'dabs' behind at the scene of a crime.
The precise form of the print can give detectives a huge clue as to the type of criminal they should be looking for.
A Surprising Story?
In perhaps the most surprising story concerning the police use of fingerprint detection, the very same fingerprint was seen at 143 different crime scenes over a six month period. This single fingerprint was run through the police computer and traced to someone working in the police department itself! It was then realised that the fingerprint was actually on the lens of the magnifying glass they were using. The magnifying glass was subsequently charged with wasting police time.