What does dactylography refer to?

Dactylography refers specifically to fingerprinting, which is the practice of identifying individuals based on the unique patterns of ridges and grooves on their fingertips. These unique patterns make fingerprints a reliable and widely used means of identification in forensic science, criminal justice, and security systems.

The process involves capturing the fingerprint through various methods, including ink and paper or digital scanning, and comparing it against existing records in databases to match individuals. The uniqueness of each person's fingerprints means that no two individuals have the same fingerprint patterns, even among identical twins, which highlights its reliability in forensic investigations.

In contrast, the other options relate to different areas of study and analysis that do not pertain to the unique identification through sources like fingerprints. The study of blood patterns relates to bloodstain pattern analysis, handwriting analysis focuses on the characteristics of writing, and the analysis of soles of feet pertains to footprints, all of which serve different purposes in forensic investigations.