What are the three basic fingerprint types and their approximate proportions?

• A. Loops 5%, Arches 65%, Whorls 30%
• B. Loops 30%, Arches 60%, Whorls 10%
• C. Loops 50%, Arches 25%, Whorls 25%
• D. Loops 65%, Arches 5%, Whorls 30%

Answer: (D)

The main idea is how common each fingerprint pattern is in typical populations. Fingerprints fall into three basic patterns: loops, whorls, and arches. Among these, loops are the most frequent, appearing in about 60 to 65 percent of prints. Whorls come next at roughly 30 percent, and arches are the least common, around 5 percent. This distribution reflects large-scale pattern frequencies used in quick categorization and comparison in forensic analysis.

Other proposed proportions that assign arches as the majority or give unusual, large percentages to arches or loops don’t match observed data. The idea to remember is that loops dominate, arches are rare, and whorls are in between.