Why do our fingers wrinkle when wet?
updated the 13 May 2015 à 14:57You ask this question every time you step out of the bath or pool? Rest assured, you are not alone. British researchers have decided to look into this mystery of nature and their answer is quite surprising.
It was long thought that if our fingers and toes softened and wrinkled when soaked in water, it was because water has come under the skin. According to Tom Smulders, an evolutionary neurobiologist at Newcastle University in England, the real explanation is a little more complex and a lot more interesting.
According to him, having wrinkled skin provides a better “grip” and was essential to the survival of our ancestors. Their rougher fingers and toes would allow them to hold a spear even in the rain, uproot moist plants and less likely to slip on the rocks while catching a fish in the river.
While water contact is what triggers this reaction, however, is not through the skin since studies have shown that when nerves in the fingers are damaged, this effect doesn’t happen. The explanation: When our brain perceives that one is exposed to a humid environment for a while, it orders the blood vessels in our extremities to contract. This reaction is controlled by our autonomic nervous system, which also regulates our breathing and our heart rate, hence the response is totally beyond our control.
Source: The Guardian, 2014
