Fingerprints have nothing to do with your fortune, but they may contain health signals, according to a new finding by scientists.

The research was conducted by a team consisting of scientists from Fudan University, the University of Edinburgh, and the Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). They have found that under the influence of the genes responsible for limb development, the shapes of fingerprints are related to human growth and diseases.

The finding published in the paper “Limb development genes underlie variation in human fingerprint patterns”, which was published in the journal Cell, could help scientists better understand the association between genes and phenotypical (observable) traits in humans.

The team is now working with medical institutions such as the Children's Hospital of Fudan University, on how to apply the research results to the early screening of neonatal congenital diseases as soon as possible, so as to achieve early diagnosis and early treatment.