this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2024
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No Stupid Questions

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This community is for people to ask questions they feel stupid for not knowing the answer or how to find the answer. "How do I not already know this?"

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Why do humans have finger/toenails? (lemm.ee)
submitted 2 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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They seem like one more bodily detail to tend to without much benefit, and sometimes more detriment (breaking a nail or scratching oneself up, ouch!).

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Same reasons monkeys have them; it helps with grabbing on to branches. The stiffness of the nail results in an increased grip strength, because the forces are blocked.