Investigation of inheritance pattern of palmar creases among the Urhobo and Ogoni Ethnic Groups in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

Background and aim: Qualitative and quantitative analysis of palmar creases have been implicated for diagnoses of congenital abnormalities as well as prediction of identity, ancestry, and ethnicity. Thus, suggesting the genetic basis of palmar creases. This study investigated the inheritance pattern of palmar creases among the Urhobo and Ogoni ethnic groups in South-South Nigeria.

Methodology: In this family-based study 95 families- 60 Urhobo and 35 Ogoni families were recruited. Using dermatoglyphic capture technique, palm prints of the subjects were obtained. Proportion of Concordance was used to determine inheritability. Mendelian Chi-square analysis of trait dominance was used to establish dominant patterns.

Results: Inheritance likelihood of pattern of origin of major palmar creases among the Urhobos was 78.3% and 83.3% on the right and left palms respectively while that of Ogoni showed 85.7% on the right palm and 77.1% on the left palm; shape of palmar creases of the Urhobos was 90.0% on the right palm and 93.3% on the left palm while that of the Ogoni was 88.6% and 88.6% on the right and left palms respectively; Middle/Mid longitudinal crease for Urhobo was 88.3% and 93.3% on the right and left palms respectively while that of the Ogoni was 85.7% on the right and left palms respectively.

Conclusion: The inheritance of origin/meeting pattern of the major creases is purely under the influence of more than two alleles while that of shape and Middle longitudinal crease tend to suggest a di-allelic influenced expression. Middle longitudinal crease showed purely a dominant-recessive expression.