# What Function do Toenails Serve? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 22, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941 "2009-02-22T14:42:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/1 "2009-02-22T14:42:34Z")
Of all the excess baggaeg that evolution has saddled us with, we have the human toenails. They cause us problems (make life unpleasant if you don’t trim them, while wearing shoes). They also can break and split, and a hangnail can lead to a dealy infection. Why do we still have tese things? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/2 "2009-02-22T14:45:43Z")
Well in a fight you can use them to disembowel an opponent, assuming that you are a kangaroo. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/3 "2009-02-22T14:48:23Z")
All the problems you mention are the direct result of wearing shoes. Humans didn’t evolve to wear shoes but evolution hasn’t had nearly enough time to catch up with our modern lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/4 "2009-02-22T16:05:13Z")
Are they our rather pathetic attempt to have claws? ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/5 "2009-02-22T16:23:35Z")
First you must realize that not everything we end up with is an evolutionary advantage nor does it all serve a purpose. It could have served a purpose in our species’ past but that doesn’t mean it will have a clear purpose today. Take a look at the appendix, for example. So what purpose could toenails or claws have served in our ancient ancestors? Perhaps for climbing trees, or greater dexterity for picking things up (similar to what our fingernails help us do to day). ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/6 "2009-02-22T16:32:07Z")
> [@BrandonR](#): > > It could have served a purpose in our species’ past but that doesn’t mean it will have a clear purpose today. Take a look at the appendix, for example. Actually, it appears that our appendici are still functional today, as a reservoir of helpful bacteria, which re-seed the entire colon after the good flora has been wiped out by overgrowth with toxic infections such as C. Difficile, salmonella, etc. This re-seeding is thought to improve survival rates. Bollinger, R.R., Barbas, A.S., Bush, E.L., Lin, S.S. & Parker. W. (2007) Biofilms in the large bowel suggest an apparent function of the human vermiform appendix. J. Theoretical Biology. 2007.08.032 ---
**Author:** ![Dripping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dripping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dripping)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/7 "2009-02-22T16:40:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Of all the excess **baggaeg** that evolution has saddled us with, we have the human toenails. They cause us problems (make life unpleasant if you don’t trim them, while wearing shoes). They also can break and split, and a hangnail can lead to a **dealy** infection. Why do we still have **tese** things? Were you drunk when you wrote this? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/8 "2009-02-22T16:42:23Z")
Mine do a great job of cutting holes in my socks. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/9 "2009-02-22T16:57:50Z")
> [@Dripping](#): > > Were you drunk when you wrote this? 😕 Please do not insult other posters in General Questions. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7697044&postcount=10](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7697044&postcount=10) If you feel the need, take it to the Pit. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/10 "2009-02-22T17:21:52Z")
Toenails are part of our mammalian heritage. Our monkey ancestors had toenails, our primate ancestors had claws, our synapsid ancestors had claws, our early tetrapod ancestors had claws. So what if toenails don’t serve any purpose in a modern human? In order to remove our toenails there would have to be some selective pressure for toenaillessness (isn’t that a great word: toenaillessness?). But there is no such selective pressure, there is no great advantage to not having toenails. And so our toenails just sit there on the end of our useless toes that can’t even grip a tree branch. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/11 "2009-02-22T18:42:06Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Why do we still have tese things? We still have toenails, because their existence doesn’t prevent people from procreating. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/12 "2009-02-22T19:28:05Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > We still have toenails, because their existence doesn’t prevent people from procreating. They do if you clip them in bed. snik! snik! snik! snik! ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/13 "2009-02-22T19:29:57Z")
Well mine stop my toes from fraying at the ends ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/14 "2009-02-22T20:48:15Z")
I would have thought they served to protect your toes, where there are lots of nerve endings, and your toes get hit more often than other parts of your body (you stub your toe more often than you hit your nose or calves or anywhere else), so need that protection more. I’m not saying that this is the main reason why we evolved toenails - that would be down to the usefulness of such nails or claws when it comes to opening seeds, fighting, cleaning bodies, etc, back when we used our feet more like hands - but perhaps they do retain some evolutionary advantage, albeit small. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/15 "2009-02-22T22:12:53Z")
WAG This goes for both fingers and toes. Our usage of both fingers and toes can involve somewhat extreme displacements of the soft tissue at the ends of the fingers and toes. In the case of toes it is because we don’t plant our feet squarely on the surface when running or walking but roll them untill a great deal of our weight is taken up by our little toes instead of the whole foot. The nails act like a partial exoskeleton providing support to the soft tissue allowing us to run faster. ---
**Author:** ![Mississippienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mississippienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mississippienne)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/16 "2009-02-23T01:01:24Z")
I use the nails on my big toes to scritch annoying itches on the opposite leg or foot. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/17 "2009-02-23T15:12:05Z")
According to Kansas City Royals outfield Jose Guillen, they serve no purpose: [http://www.fox4kc.com/sports/wdaf-guillen-injury-story-022009,0,4238124.story](http://www.fox4kc.com/sports/wdaf-guillen-injury-story-022009,0,4238124.story) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/18 "2009-02-23T15:59:41Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > We still have toenails, because their existence doesn’t prevent people from procreating. For some women, depending on the color of their toenail polish, it can actually help them find a mate. At certain beaches. Or so I’ve been told. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/19 "2009-02-23T16:28:45Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > And so our toenails just sit there on the end of our useless toes that can’t even grip a tree branch. Toes are not useless! They play an important part in the motion of the foot when walking and running. Individuals who lose toes, particularly the great toe (e.g. - frost bite), often need physiotherapy to help re-learn how to walk. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941/20 "2009-02-23T16:34:22Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > According to Kansas City Royals outfield Jose Guillen, they serve no purpose: > > [http://www.fox4kc.com/sports/wdaf-guillen-injury-story-022009,0,4238124.story](http://www.fox4kc.com/sports/wdaf-guillen-injury-story-022009,0,4238124.story) :eek: _ **YAAAGH TMI TMI TMI** _ Shit! Next time warn us before we click on something that cringe-worthy! (It’s not graphic, but it’s bad enough just _reading_ it.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-function-do-toenails-serve/486941.md?page=2)