Marsupial Fingerprints: These Hands Were Made for Gripping

When I was a little girl, my
father introduced me to the
science of dactyloscopy—the
study of fingerprints. My fascination
for fingerprints only grew throughout
my life, leading me to work as a
fingerprint examiner in a crime scene
unit and teach high school students
about forensic science. Today, I am
still amazed by God’s intricate design.
Fingerprints are a perfect reminder of
Psalm 139:14, which declares, “I praise
you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully
made.” Even the pattern on your little
finger is evidence of a loving and creative
God.

Prints and Patterns

Fingerprints are formed by the patterns
created in friction ridge skin
found on two distinct areas of your
body: the entire surface of your hands
and the soles of your feet. Just like the
adjective friction describes, this unique
feature provides grip and traction,
helping our hands and feet easily grasp
surfaces such as a pencil or pool ladder.

The patterns in our friction ridge
skin develop in utero between 10 and
16 weeks, taking on one of three pattern
types: arch, loop, or whorl. God created
every individual with 20 unique
fingerprint patterns, including the 10
patterns on your fingers and the 10 patterns
on your toes. These patterns will
remain unchanged for your lifetime
and will stay with you until after death
when your body fully decomposes
beyond the dermal layer of your skin.

Miraculous Minutiae

With only three types of fingerprint
patterns, what makes every individual
unique? These patterns are distinguished
by tiny details called minutiae.
Just one fingerprint has over 150
minutiae characteristics. If we considered
the entire surface of friction
ridge skin on the hands and feet, every
person has over 10,000 unique minutiae
characteristics unlike anyone else
in the world who lived in the past, is
alive in the present, or will be born in
the future.

Nonslip Surface for a Purpose

Humans are not the only living
thing that God created with unique
fingerprints and friction ridge skin. He
also gave certain animal kinds—primates,
some marsupials, and certain
weasels—friction ridge skin to help
them thrive in their environments.
This helpful trait points to our intelligent
Creator God who made everything
for a purpose (Proverbs 16:4).
Think about it: Would marsupials
such as sugar gliders or koalas benefit
from the nonslip surface provided
by friction ridge skin? Do they climb
and grasp food? Yes, and God not only
equipped them with this feature but
also gave them unique identity in their
print patterns.

Sweet Design

Similar to humans, some marsupials
have fingerprints unique to each
individual animal. For example, sugar
gliders are social squirrel-sized creatures
that are mostly nocturnal and
known for—as their name suggests—
gliding through the air. They can glide
a distance nearly equal to the width
of a football field. With friction ridge
skin and five toes on each foot, including
an opposable toe on their hind feet,
they are able to navigate their arboreal
environment. At the Ark Encounter’s
Ararat Ridge Zoo, staff and I recently
had the opportunity to fingerprint
Gabriel, a sugar glider, and verified
that he does have friction skin and fingerprint
patterns.

Tree kangaroo print courtesy Christine MacDonald for Roger Williams Park Zoo

Designed for a Purpose

God varied friction ridge skin among
marsupials according to their needs.
For example, the tree kangaroo has
friction ridge skin for traction as it climbs
and jumps among trees. Its relative, the
terrestrial kangaroo, which lives on land,
doesn’t need this feature.

Differentiated Design

In his infinite wisdom, God varied
skin texture among marsupials according
to their needs. For example, the
tree kangaroo and rock wallaby have
friction skin and fingerprint patterns,
but their relatives do not. The tree kangaroo
lives in the tropical rainforests
of New Guinea and spends much of its
life climbing and jumping among trees,
as opposed to terrestrial kangaroos
inhabiting mainland Australia.

At the Ararat Ridge Zoo, staff and I
printed kangaroos and confirmed they
have textured skin, but lack friction
ridge detail.

Though they don’t dwell in an arboreal
environment like tree kangaroos,
rock wallabies still greatly benefit
from friction ridge skin. In their rocky
terrain, they must navigate loose piles
of rock, large boulders, and cliffs with
ledges and caves. A nonslip grip is very
important for them too.

God knew that certain
marsupials, such as the sugar
glider, tree kangaroo, and rock
wallaby, would require a nonslip
grip, just as he knew humans
would need this feature.

I visited the Eden Animal Experience
at the Creation Museum to investigate
the difference between rock wallabies
and Bennett’s wallabies, a species
native to the eastern coast of Australia.
Zoo staff assisted me, and we confirmed
that Bennett’s wallabies do not have
friction ridge skin or fingerprint patterns.
As we saw in the kangaroos, the Bennett’s wallaby is a terrestrial animal
and may not require the nonslip friction
skin that benefits the rock wallaby.

Our Creator’s Care

God knew that humans and certain
animals would require a friction,
nonslip surface to survive in their
environments. God also loves his
creation so much that he gave each
human and animal with friction skin
a unique identity in their pattern.
When we examine fingerprints from a
biblical worldview, we see that friction
skin and unique fingerprint patterns
align with the truth in God’s Word.
Proverbs 16:4 tells us that God created
everything for a purpose, and Romans
1:20 reminds us that creation is evidence
of our Creator. These truths are
evident in the unique design of friction
ridge skin that humans and some
animals need. The love and care of our
Creator is evident, even on the surface
of your little finger.

SourceThis article originally appeared on answersingenesis.org

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