Fingerprints have been used in forensic identification since the end of the nineteenth century. Until recently, identifications were reported only when fingerprint examiners could find sufficient matching characteristics. As a result, many poor-quality marks that failed to meet this standard were considered useless as evidence and discarded.
Now, however, thanks to a probabilistic approach currently being applied at the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), it is possible to specify an objective strength of evidence for even slight traces of fingers or palms.