You know the way your fingers get all wrinkly if you stay in the bath tub or shower a long time? Well, good ol' science has an answer for us …
The wrinkles that develop on wet fingers could be an adaptation to give us better grip in slippery conditions, the latest theory suggests.
The hypothesis, from Mark Changizi, an evolutionary neurobiologist at 2AI Labs in Boise, Idaho, and his colleagues goes against the common belief that fingers turn prune-like simply because they absorb water.
Changizi thinks that the wrinkles act like rain treads on tires. They create channels that allow water to drain away as we press our fingertips on to wet surfaces. This allows the fingers to make greater contact with a wet surface, giving them a better grip.
Scientists have known since the mid-1930s that water wrinkles do not form if the nerves in a finger are severed, implying that they are controlled by the nervous system.
You're not a weird mix of Aquaman and Spider-Man, but you'll be a little less likely to slip and bust your chops.
[Source: Scientific American]
