ABSTRACT
The analysis of Digito Palmar Dermatoglyphics Pattern in Ubang clan of Cross River State, Nigeria, aimed at determining the true dermatoglyphics patterns of the Ubangs and establish if there is a language variation amongst the gender in the community. Seven research objectives were spelt-out and three research questions asked which serve as a guide in the conduct of the research work. Eight hundred (800) samples were collected from Ubang community (400 males and 380 females). Twenty samples were discarded because of poor visibility of prints. Samples were collected via a cross-sectional simple random sampling technique, to select the clusters used in the research, this was used also to select the control from one of the cardinal points (south) of the community (Ntamante in Boki LGA). The Ink procedure was adopted (Cummis et al., 1961) was adopted in the collection of samples because of the cheap technique and the ease of collection of prints from the subjects. Ethical approval was gotten from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika -Zaria for the research work and verbal consent was gotten from the community and the subjects used for the research. Some of the materials used included duplicating papers, stamp pads, endorsing ink, protractors, hand-lens etc. The ink procedure involves the placing of the duplicating papers on a hard smooth surface and the subjects hands washed with water and dried, with some moisture left. The hands rubbed with ink from the stamp pad starting with the right hand is placed on the coded duplicating paper for research identification, this is repeated on the left hand. The prints were analyzed with the aid of a hand lens, pointed needle, protractor, ruler, pencil, etc. for the dermatoglyphics data to be collected. The inclusion criteria for the research were subjects whose great grandparents were from Ubang clan, this was verified via identification of the graves of their great grandparents by the oldest man in the community, the age bracket was pegged at 18-68years. Descriptive statistics was used for continuous and categorical viii variables SPSS an SAS were used to analysed the data. The qualitative variables (Arches, loops and whorls) showed significant differences between the gender in both hands when T-test was conducted with (p<0.05). The male Ulnar loop had the highest distribution (51.7� 39.2) while the male radial loop (0.7� 0.8) had the lowest distribution as what is obtain in other parts of Nigeria, Africa and Asia were the men and women speak same language. The females ulnar loop was 58.2�4.9 while the radial loop was (0.6� 1.9) this was higher in females than the males. The correlation coefficient (r) for males was 1 as compared to that of the females (0.7) in their AB ridge count. The correlation coefficient for males (0.9) on the ATD angles was greater than in the females (0.8) for the Ubangs. The C-line termination for the Ubangs was greatest in the Ulnar loop termination (69.5%) males and (55%) for females in Ubang community. The T-test was significant for both males and females (p<0.05), the C-line termination was least on the radial loop termination (0%) males and (4%) females, this is same with what was obtained in other ethnic groups whose men and women speaks the same language. The Furuhata's index is more in the females of Ubang community (28.2%) than in the males (25.4%). One hundred percent of the respondents agreed that they speak Ubang language because of what others in the community may say about them. This clearly shows that the language is spoken because of the influence of the norms and practices in the community that are put in place by the men and taught by the women to their children and not genetic. A list of thirty-one words were generated via a language consultant in the community in their singular and plural forms, and it clearly affirm that truly the men and women speak different languages of (Ofre) and (Arasere) respectively. In conclusion, the dermatoglyphics patterns in Ubang community are the same with other communities where men and women speak the same language. The language variation in Ubang amongst the men and women is due to power play and male dominance, not genetic as claimed by the myth and belief of the Ubang people.