Why do we have fingernails / toenails?

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Recently smashed my finger and lost the nail and it got me wondering what is the biological / mechanical / etc function / reason for fingernails? Sure it would be harder to grip little things, but is there a structural reason why our digits need these things?

EDIT: Follow up question. What is different about the skin underneath your nail that makes it so painful when initially exposed to air?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Mostly for grip. You also have to remember the environment that we evolved in. We were hunter-gatherers and nails probably aided in most things related to that.

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