dermatoglyphics
n. the study of the patterns of lines on the skin of the fingers, palms, and soles. The technique is used in the diagnosis of certain kinds of chromosomal abnormalities, based on observations that some patterns are associated with certain types of birth defects or disorders. For example, people with Down syndrome have a single crease across the palm and a single crease on the skin of the little (fifth) finger. [coined in 1926 by U.S. anatomist Harold Cummins (1894–1976)]