DEEMATOGLYPHICS IN PRIMATES 127 



REGIONAL PATTERN INTENSITIES 



Attention may be next directed to the configurational areas 

 individually. The values for both hand and foot, reduced to 

 graphic form in figure 598, are listed in tables 4 and 5. This 

 approach aims to disclose trends of variation in regional 

 pattern intensity which might have phylogenetic implications 

 or which might throw light on morphological questions, such 

 as regulation of pattern intensity with reference to the 

 anatomical axis, other gradients of pattern intensity, and 

 bilateral asymmetry. 



INDIVIDUAL CONFIGURATIONAL FIELDS 



Palm. In the distal hypothenar area (H d ), the average pat- 

 tern intensity is 0.24, the lowest value of any configurational 

 field. In man H d is so rarely patterned that only one example 

 has been recorded previously (Cummins, '35 b, fig. 3); the 

 second known example, obtained through the courtesy of 

 Dr. D. C. Rife, is reproduced in figure 588. It is not surprising, 

 accordingly, .that the intensity value in our series of 1176 

 human hands is zero. Intensity is similarly at zero, or so close 

 to it as to be negligible, in the following genera : Tarsius, 

 Saimiri, Aotus, Cebus, Lasiopyga, Erythrocebus, Hylobates, 

 Pongo and Pan. Notably high values occur in Ateles (0.66), 

 Lagothrix (0.80) and Papio (0.78). Values ranging from 0.33 

 to 0.50 are noted in Pithecus, Cercocebus, Pygathrix and 

 Gorilla. Values ranging from 0.15 to 0.29 occur in the remain- 

 ing genera (Nycticebus, Galago, Lemur, Oedipomidas, 

 Callithrix, Alouatta, Colobus). 



The proximal hypothenar area (H p ) exhibits a much higher 

 average pattern intensity (0.76), this value not being ex- 

 ceeded in any other area, though equalled in interdigitals II 

 and IV. The intensity of H p is less variable among the genera 

 than is H d , as shown in figure 598. The highest values closely 

 approach 1.00, while the lower values present the following 

 noteworthy relationships. There is a progressive increase 

 from Tarsius (0.23) to Nycticebus to Galago (0.95). Aotus 



