Quantitative and Qualitative Dermatoglyphics as a Basis to Study the Relationship between Pacific Populations

Quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic traits are used to study the relationship among selected population samples from Micronesia (Guam, Kapingamarangi and Ponape, Yap), Papua New Guinea (Fore, Iokea, Wosera-Abelam), and the South Pacific region of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (Loh, Santa Cruz, Ureparapara). Digital and palmar dermatoglyphic traits (total ridge count, average ab ridge count, digital ridge counts, and digital arches, loops and whorls) of 397 men were used in a linear discriminant function analysis to attempt to correctly classify these individuals by population and by region. The findings demonstrate that linear discriminant functions using both quantitative and qualitative dermatoglyphic traits can achieve a high correct classification rate both across regions (63-73%) and within Micronesia (74-78%) and Papua New Guinea (79-86%). However, classification rates were not as uniform within the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (59-81%). Overall, these results suggest that a linear discriminant function analysis of dermatoglyphics is a useful analytic tool for exploring biological relationships among various indigenous island populations of Australasia.