Which person is credited as the first to study the persistence of friction ridge skin?

The individual credited as the first to study the persistence of friction ridge skin is Hermann Welcker. He conducted significant research on fingerprints and their lasting nature, contributing to the understanding of how these unique patterns can be used for identification purposes. Welcker was instrumental in recognizing that fingerprints do not change over a person's lifetime and can be relied upon for consistent identification.

In contrast, the other individuals mentioned played important roles in the history of fingerprinting but did not specifically address the persistence of friction ridge skin in their works. Thomas Bewick, for example, was known for his contributions to wood engraving and natural history. Sir William James Herschel was a pioneer in the use of fingerprints for personal identification but his work was more toward the application of fingerprints rather than the study of their persistence. Henry Faulds was also significant in the field, particularly for advocating for the use of fingerprints in forensic science, but he did not initiate the study of their lasting characteristics.