麻豆传媒

Linda Johnston

Bristol, UK

The soles of the feet of elephants develop unique patterns, much like human fingerprints. In fact, the carers at the elephant rescue facility in Hoedspruit, South Africa, can identify individuals from their footprint patterns.

Tony Rackham

Southampton, UK

If characteristics other than actual fingerprints are allowed, then the 鈥渇ingerprint鈥� idea can be broadened to include most species of animal, not just mammals.

鈥淒ifferences in wing patterns among insects can be as great as differences in fingerprints among primates鈥�

Differences in wing patterns among insects, for instance, can be as great as differences in fingerprints among primates. A few years ago, I noticed that a male comma butterfly would often guard a particular sunny glade, flying up to intercept any butterfly that crossed the area.

This seemed to go on from early spring until autumn, so it couldn鈥檛 have always been the same comma 鈥� they don鈥檛 live long enough. I took a photograph of any male comma that I saw behaving in this way. Because of the differences in the wing patterns, it was possible to tell which was which.

I found that photos I had taken on 30 occasions proved to be of 25 different butterflies.

Jeremy Watson

University College London, UK

I recall seeing patterns similar to fingerprints on the pads at the tips of spider monkeys鈥� tails when I was on a trip to Costa Rica. These pads look like an oval of hairless black skin. Spider monkeys use their tails as a 鈥渇ifth limb鈥�, so I suspect the 鈥渇ingerprint鈥� structure helps the animals grip branches as they nimbly swing from tree to tree.

Quentin Macilray

Limassol, Cyprus

The sole of the human foot is normally smooth and unmarked. Take up barefoot running, however, and you will find that it develops whorls and lines that look similar to those of fingertips.

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