Until now we used to think that it was the simple effect of excess water absorption by the skin. However, Mark Changizi, an evolutionary neurobiologist from 2AI Laboratories in Idaho (United States), has captured the attention of the scientific community by postulating that it is actually an ingenious body defense mechanism developed by our ancestors to better grasp the wet surfaces . In an article published in the journal Brain, Behavior and Evolution , Changizi explains that wrinkles on the fingertips create channels that allow water to drain as we press our fingers against a wet surface , while increasing the surface area of contact, allowing more agile and safe movements.
In fact, reviewing studies dating back to the 1930s Changizi found that individuals with damaged finger nerves do not experience this phenomenon of rough fingers after wetting them . This indicates that the answer depends on the nervous system. In addition, it has been found that other primates, specifically macaque monkeys, also respond this way when they spend a lot of time with wet hands. Now Changizi sets out to study whether other mammals living in humid environments have wrinkled fingers.
