Re: Do clones have the same finger prints as their 'parent'?

Hi -

No one has yet created a human "clone" using artificial means. For ethical reasons, I doubt that anyone will attempt to do so in the near future. Thus it's impossible to say whether such clones would have identical patterns of fingerprints as compared with their "parent."

However, we can compare the fingerprints of identical twins, or "natural clones." Identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg, and thus share identical genomes of DNA. While the fingerprint patterns between twins are often similar, minor differences can be detected. Remember - we are products of our genes and of our environment. Though twins share identical genes and a similar developmental environment, sufficient variations in development can lead to fingerprint patterns that are not 100% identical. My guess would be that the same processes would apply to artifically created "clones."

-L. Bry, MadSci Admin