# Why do we have fingernails?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558>\
**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:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/21 "2002-11-20T14:15:37Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by smiling bandit \*  
> \*\*Plus fingernails _are_ still useful, just in more refined fashion. \*\*

Refined? _scratch_ _scratch_ _burp_

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**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/22 "2002-11-20T16:37:31Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> _Originally posted by Achernar_  
> **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?**

That would be an instance of sexual selection, not natural selection. And I don’t think it can be argued (successfully, anyway) that fingernails are the result of sexual selection.

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**Author:** ![Teelo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@Teelo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teelo)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-have-fingernails/137558/23 "2002-11-20T17:47:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Wearia \*  
> \*\*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_ \*\*

What?! Damnit! I thought being brothers I would know something like that! Yuck!

My nails are fine, by the way.  
😃

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