Allegation:
There are documented cases where koala fingerprints confused crime scene investigators because they resembled human fingerprints.
Evaluation:
Over the years, posts circulating on platforms such as Instagram and iFunny have claimed that koala fingerprints found at crime scenes in Australia confused investigators due to their similarities to humans.
For example, a post from account X in April 2024 @Truth “Koala fingerprints are virtually indistinguishable from human ones and can sometimes be confused at the scene.”
The same claim was made by the Animal Planet TV network account on Facebook in 2022:
While it is true that koala fingerprints are similar to humans, the claim that crime scene investigators confused the two is unfounded; We found no evidence to support this.
These cute marsupials, native to Australia, have long been admired not only for their cute appearance, but also for their unique physiological characteristics.
Research conducted by scientists at the University of Adelaide in the mid-90s revealed that koalas have unique fingerprints that are very similar to humans. These fingerprints serve a variety of functions, such as helping capture leaves to eat when climbing trees and facilitating sensory perception.
In the study, researchers examined the folds and curves of koala fingerprints using a scanning electron microscope and found that the fingerprints rival humans in complexity and individuality.
This similarity led to the idea that if koala prints were present at the crime scene, crime scene investigators might mistake koala fingerprints for human fingerprints.
Maciej Henneberg, professor of anthropological and comparative anatomy at the University of Adelaide, told The Independent in 1996: “Although it is extremely unlikely that koala tracks will be found at the crime scene, the police should at least be aware of the possibility.”
To find out more, Snopes spoke to Gemma Steingold, a former wildlife nurse and zookeeper for the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia, who has two decades of experience caring for native wildlife.
“I’ve worked with sick and injured koalas, both captive and wild,” Steingold told Snopes. “I also quarantined healthy koalas coming and going to the zoo.”
Explaining why koalas have hands and feet instead of paws, Steingold said, “The difference between hands and paws is having an opposable thumb. Given that both the first and second fingers are opposable, this tells us that koalas have hands.”
Koala hands are adapted to an arboreal lifestyle spent predominantly in eucalyptus trees. These special limbs, equipped with five fingers and sharp claws, make it easier to grasp branches and navigate habitats with agility. The presence of opposable thumbs allows koalas to manipulate eucalyptus leaves to feed, while their hind legs, which lack functional thumbs, serve primarily for propulsion during climbing.
“Great apes also have fingerprints similar to humans. However, koalas and humans share the most similar prints,” Steingold said, adding that fingerprints from humans and koalas may be mistaken for short shrift in some forensic settings, with significant differences in size and shape. They do not realize that they were mistaken at the scene of the crime.
Journalist Chantel Tattoli investigated the alleged koala crime scene mix-up as part of her article “The Surprising History (and Future) of Fingerprints,” published in the Paris Review in 2018. New South Wales police Senior Sgt. Peter Hennessy:
“Although it’s a good story, unfortunately I’ve never heard of Australian Crime Scene Investigators mistaking koala fingerprints for human fingerprints.”
Even if we accept that the human-like fingerprints of koalas theoretically present challenges for forensic investigators, especially in koala-abundant regions of Australia, forensic technology continues to improve, allowing scientists to better distinguish between human and koala fingerprints.
Snopes has previously investigated other interesting animal-related claims, including the viral video of a man punching a kangaroo to save a dog and a purported photo of a hedgehog skeleton.
Resources:
Burrell, Ian. “Koalas Make Police Monkeys | The Independent.” IndependentDecember 7, 1996. www.independence.co.ukhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/koalas-make-a-monkey-out-of-the-police-1313275.html.
Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/AnimalPlanet/posts/koalas-and-human-fingerprints-are-so-similar-that-they-have-been-confused-at-cri/10159246207093375/. Access date: 6 May 2024.
Henneberg, M., et al. “Fingerprint Homoplasy: Koalas and Humans.” Http://Naturalscience.Com/Ns/Articles/01-04/Ns_hll.Html1997. digital.library.adelaide.edu.auhttps://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/handle/2440/5433.
“Koala, Facts and Photos.” animalsApril 11, 2010, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/koala.
Koalas’ fingerprints are almost the same as ours. September 21, 2022, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/koala-fingerprints/.
“Koalas Have Fingerprints Like Humans.” Office of Science and Society, https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know/koalas-have-fingerprints-just-humans. Access date: 6 May 2024.
“Physical Characteristics of the Koala.” Australian Koala Foundation, https://www.savethekoala.com/about-koalas/physical-characteristics-koala/. Access date: 6 May 2024.
Priestpooponyous. “Koala Fingerprints Are So Similar to Humans They Confused Even Crime Scene Investigators. KOALA HUMAN Nick Morrow @NRMorrow Wait What Kind of Crime Scene Has Both?” iFunny, https://ifunny.co/picture/bTffJ2o2A. Access date: 6 May 2024.
Sweeten-Shults, Lana. “Senior Forensic Science Projects Investigated.” GCU NewsNovember 2, 2022, https://news.gcu.edu/gcu-news/senior-forensic-science-projects-investigated/.
“Taronga Conservation Society Australia.” Taronga Conservation Society Australia, http://taronga.org.au/. Access date: 6 May 2024.
Tattoli, Chantel. “The Surprising History (and Future) of Fingerprints.” Paris ReviewMay 15, 2018, https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2018/05/15/the-surprising-history-and-future-of-fingerprints/.
“You May Be Sweet and Fuzzy, But You Have a Nickname.” New Scientist, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg15220591-500-you-may-be-sweet-and-furry-but-youre-nicked/. Access date: 6 May 2024.