In 1910, Thomas Jennings fled a murder scene. However, he left behind a decisive clue that would be his undoing — a perfect impression of his fingerprints in the drying paint of a railing, which was just outside the house where he committed the crime. His fingerprints were the first ever to be used as evidence in a criminal investigation, and his fingerprints led to his conviction for murder a year later.
Since then, fingerprints have become crucial evidence in forensic investigations.
These unique identity markers are so ideally suited to the task of busting a crime, that it's almost as if that's why they exist.
But we know that it’s not the reason why we have fingerprints. If that’s the case, then why do we have fingerprints, and what biological purpose do they serve?
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