Why do fingers wrinkle in the water?

If anyone is wondering why the skin of? fingers hands and feet shrivel, now there is a valid answer. It used to be thought that the roughness was the passive response of the skin surface. In practice, that it swelled up due to the water seeping in and causing osmosis.

However, scientists already suspected that there were several reasons and that has been the case since the last century.
They eventually found that this water-induced wrinkling of the fingers is actually controlled by the
nervous system. In simpler terms, shriveled fingers can be an advantage. In short, a
active response to being in water. This has been demonstrated by the research team of Professor Nick Davis,
neuroscientist and psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University.

In 2020, 500 volunteers measured the force required to grip a plastic object. Those with dry hands used less force than those with wet fingers. This last one
they had one better grip.

The results were surprisingly clear. Wrinkles have increased the friction between the fingers and the object, but what’s especially interesting is that our fingers are sensitive to this change in surface friction and we use this information to apply less force to push an object in a more effective way. way to grab. safe.

Nick Davis, neuroscientist and psychologist, Manchester Metropolitan University

Since it seems to give better grip underwater, I think it has to do with moving in very wet conditions or possibly handling objects underwater.

Tom Smulders, evolutionary neuroscientist, Newcastle University

Another curiosity related to our species is that shriveled fingers are less pronounced in salt water. Over there
they take longer to form than in fresh water. The salt imbalance that triggers the nerve fibers is less
powerful.