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!).
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!).
Every other mammal has finger/toenails, most of them make very good use of it, others not that much (e.g. elephant toenails look pretty useless). Organisms don’t necessarily keep inherited traits because they’re useful, but because they’re not very detrimental.
as a person with burned fingers and having lost two nails:
you absolutely need:
the feeling in your fingertips and nails
if you want to pick up or manipulate finicky things.
i cant pick up coins with my left hand, when i am at the supermarked check out.
i lost the nail at the thumb, the thumb is very important for digit function