Everyone knows it. Those wrinkles that suddenly appear on our fingertips when we spend too long in the water. Not exactly pretty, those temporary granny hands, but very handy. For example, an American scientist found out that this very likely provides extra grip.
Profile on car tires
A study conducted by research institute 2AI Labs in Utah shows that the wrinkle formation that occurs upon contact with water has an evolutionary function. For example, neurobiologist Mark Changizi . compares the phenomenon with the profile on car tires. These ensure that the car does not slide off the road during rain and sleet. The same goes for our fingers. When water gets on the flat part of the fingertips, our grip deteriorates † In order to be able to hold onto our fingers 'make' their own profile † So wrinkles.
Pattern "The inspiration came from my student Romann Weber," researcher Changizi told The Huffington Post. "He asked during a discussion:"Couldn't the wrinkles on wet hands have the same function as the grooves in car tires † I thought that was a brilliant idea.”
The scientists at 2AI Labs then explored the theory by analyzing photos of 28 human fingers wrinkled by water † They compared the pattern of the wrinkles extremely accurately.
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Nervous System
What turned out? On all fingers the wrinkles formed a kind of vertical channels from the fingertip † Very smart, because it quickly drains the water that ends up on the fingertips.
Separate:Previous studies have shown that people with nerve damage hands or feet do not develop wrinkles when they come into contact with water. This would therefore suggest that the emergence of 'grandma hands' when we get in the bath is controlled by the nervous system. That would also indicate that the formation of wrinkles is an evolutionary function of the body.
Researcher Mark Changizi plans to conduct experiments as soon as possible to test whether wrinkles indeed improves the grip of human fingers in the water † The scientist already has some evidence for this theory found in monkeys. For example, he examined photos of monkeys climbing in the rain, which clearly showed that they too developed wrinkles on the fingertips.
The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Brain, Behavior and Evolution †
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