Nails like humans and apes have seem pretty weak compared to claws, and even other tree-dwelling species have hooked claws.
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Nails provide counter pressure to the tips of our fingers. What this means is that they provide some rigidity to our otherwise squishy finger tips which allows us to have fine control and feeling on our finger tips. Nails are not meant to be used for defense, they’re vestigial features. The lack of claws allow for more versatile use of the limbs.
Claws on the other hand provide many benefits such as traction in soft surfaces, the ability to climb much easier, and they can be used as weapons. However they’re vulnerable to breaking and make the limb less suited to more delicate tasks such as manipulating objects and using the limbs as sensory organs.
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