# Why do we have fingernails? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 19, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558 "2002-11-19T17:38:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/1 "2002-11-19T17:38:59Z")
We and our fellow primates have these things growing out of our fingers (and toes, for that matter). They seem like they evolved from claws, but they don’t seem especially valuable for self defense, climbing trees, traction, or the other things that other mammals use them for. I guess they would have some value for digging or as a crude tool. Are nails just vestigial traces of prior functionalilty, or did they evolve because they provide a real survival benefit? ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/2 "2002-11-19T17:51:39Z")
You ever tried to pick a booger with a hot dog weenie? ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/3 "2002-11-19T17:54:09Z")
I’m with Lieu. I can still smell that oscar meyer, and it was extracted from my nose last night. (I get a discount rate at the 24 hour clinic for this) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/4 "2002-11-19T18:35:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*You ever tried to pick a booger with a hot dog weenie? \*\* Or scratch your butt? ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/5 "2002-11-19T18:42:02Z")
I’m thinking they’re kept on some I can open the blades on my pocket knife. No kidding, Lady Chance has these paper thing nails (she calls them ‘irish nails’) and can’t open a blade for love nor money. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/6 "2002-11-19T18:44:40Z")
They may not be as effective as claws, but a finger with a fingernail is better than one without, and is also better suited to the more delicate work that we do with them, e.g. using tools, picking up small objects, etc. The nails don’t get in the way as much as claws would. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/7 "2002-11-19T18:51:02Z")
Could they offer some very low level of protection? Yeah its a long shot, just throwing it into the mix. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/8 "2002-11-19T19:54:20Z")
One theory: flat fingernails increase tactile sensation on the digital pads by providing a back that gives even pressure when we touch something. ---
**Author:** ![AndrewL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/9 "2002-11-19T20:20:04Z")
They make it much easier to pick fleas and lice out of your hair. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/10 "2002-11-19T20:58:17Z")
And even if we didn’t need “claws” at all, you wouldn’t expect them to just disappear overnight. A lot of body parts and systems persist in some form even after they no longer have a use, and sometimes develop new uses (how many different uses do various animals have for their tails, for instance?). ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/11 "2002-11-19T23:38:48Z")
I had a teacher that told me that nails help to even out the pressure on your fingers. Plus there is the scratching aspect. An odd thing is my index and middle finger nails constantly pop up off the skin. I have about 1/5 of the nail come up on a regular basis. Could this be the first sign of a loss of nails in the human species? _x-files theme_ ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/12 "2002-11-20T02:14:32Z")
Either that, or there was a fly in your telepod. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/13 "2002-11-20T05:16:40Z")
Now that you mention it… ---
**Author:** ![caitiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3d9bf3/32.png) [@caitiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caitiff)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/14 "2002-11-20T07:12:45Z")
how would scratching be represented in the evolutionary process? Wouldn’t systems dissapear only if they contributed to a degradation of survivability? I can’t see where not being able to scratch your behind would lead to your death. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/15 "2002-11-20T07:26:07Z")
Well if a potential mate comes by, is he or she going to pick the person who’s already scratched and is standing around, or the one who went over to a tree to scratch their backside like a dog? ---
**Author:** ![starman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@starman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starman)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/16 "2002-11-20T08:19:14Z")
Somewhat related to the OP, why is the tissue underneath your fingernails so sensitive? It seems rather pointless to have a bunch of nerve endings under a great slab of keratin. -Oli ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/17 "2002-11-20T08:27:03Z")
um, the nerves are all over your fingers, why wouldnt they be under your nails? that and if you remove the protective layer from any part of your body I would be willing to bet that whats underneath is sensative as hell. someone peel off all your skin and tell us how if feels! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/18 "2002-11-20T11:11:23Z")
Evolution isn’t a design process that has any motivation behind it. It’s just a case of “Is this detrimental to this creature’s life? No? Then it stays.” kind of situation. Fingernails are left overs from claws, which are great for digging, scratching the enemy, and a few other things, and are in no way detrimental to our way of living, so they never fell by the wayside. ---
**Author:** ![G.Cornelius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@G.Cornelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Cornelius)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/19 "2002-11-20T13:22:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by caitiff \* > \*\*how would scratching be represented in the evolutionary process? Wouldn’t systems dissapear only if they contributed to a degradation of survivability? I can’t see where not being able to scratch your behind would lead to your death. \*\* I would think that scratching was a vital process for getting rid of various parasites - very important evolutionarily. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/20 "2002-11-20T13:23:06Z")
Plus fingernails _are_ still useful, just in more refined fashion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558.md?page=2)