Fingerprint Information

Are fingerprints inherited... are they more similar between family members than between strangers?
The general shape or overall pattern of finger and palm prints can be inherited. Family members will often have similar patterns or designs (whorls, loops, etc.) on the same fingers of their hands. The tiny details in the fingerprint ridges, however, are not inherited and are different between all friction skin areas of all persons... even between twins.
The overall general flow or pattern (Level 1 detail) of friction ridges on human hands and feet is governed primarily by the height and position of the volar pads formed before birth. The formation of the volar pads is affected by inherited traits from the parents. High pads will form whorls, low pads arches, a medium height pad to one side a loop, etc. Thus twins or close relatives may have very similar ridge flow patterns (also called finger or palm print classification).
A few related articles are listed as follows:
Heredity in Fingerprints ,G. Shahan, ID News, Vol XX, No. 4, pp. 1, 10-14.
A Family Fingerprint Project, J.S. McCANN, ID News, May 1975, pp. 7-11.
Inherited Characteristics In Fingerprints: (or Theory of Relativity), T. Jones, The Print, Vol 4, No. 5.
Fingerprint patterns are inherited and thus non-fingerprint experts looking in a police fingerprint file must be careful not to confuse fingerprint records of close relatives based on fingerprint classification (Level 1 detail). Likewise, a National Crime Information Center Fingerprint Classification Code (FPC) may be very similar for close relatives.
The actual finger and palm print detail used to effect an identification is not inherited and experts have no problem differentiating even identical twins
Only the overall whorl, loop, etc., patterns are inherited. The police might confuse your fingerprints with your twin brother's... for about ten seconds. The moment they put a magnifying glass on them they will see obvious differences.