✨Trivia
Koala Fingerprints Are Almost Identical to Humans
Koala fingerprints are so similar to human fingerprints that they could theoretically confuse crime scene investigators.
About this fact
Koalas are one of the few animals that have fingerprints remarkably similar to humans. Their fingerprints have the same general ridge patterns and are formed by the same underlying hand structure. The similarity is so striking that koala fingerprints could potentially contaminate crime scenes, though this has never actually happened. Scientists believe koalas developed fingerprints for the same reason humans did: to improve grip. The ridges help koalas grasp smooth eucalyptus branches and leaves more effectively. This is an example of convergent evolution, where unrelated species develop similar traits independently.