Which of the following is NOT a minutia type used in fingerprint comparison?

• A. Ridge Ending
• B. Serpentine
• C. Bifurcation
• D. Island/Dot

Answer: (B)

Minutiae are the exact points on a ridge pattern that fingerprint examiners use for comparison. The classic minutiae are ridge endings, where a ridge stops; bifurcations, where a ridge splits into two; and islands or dots, which are short, isolated ridge segments. These are discrete points or junctions that can be mapped and matched across prints.

Serpentine describes a winding or curved ridge path, not a specific, discrete feature used in minutiae analysis. While ridges can follow serpentine trajectories, this kind of description isn’t a defined minutia type, so it isn’t used as part of the minutiae set for comparison. That’s why serpentine is the not-a-minutia option.