Adermatoglyphia (or Immigration Delay Disease) - a genetic condition responsible for a lack of any grooves or patterns on the hands and feet.
Fingered out: Gene causes birth without fingerprints (Daily Mail - UK)
Like DNA, fingerprints are unique to each person or set of identical twins and that makes them a valuable identification tool for everything from crime detection to international travel.
They are used for identification because they are fully formed 24 weeks after fertilisation and do not change throughout our lives.
Only four documented families are known to suffer from the disease worldwide.
It isn’t only fingertips that have patterned skin, says professor Sprecher. Palms, toes and the soles of the feet also feature these ridges, called dermatoglphs.
