When we spend a long time in the pool or take a longer bath, we realize that our skin starts to wrinkle, doesn't it? But have you ever wondered why this happens?
For a long time, the most accepted explanation was that the skin of the fingers absorbed water through osmosis, that is, the water moved from the most abundant medium to the place with less water. However, this theory was refuted, since only the skin on hands and feet wrinkles and this process does not it was observed when nerve connections were interrupted, that is, there was the participation of the system nervous.
We now know that when we are exposed to water for a long time, the nerves start sending signals about this situation to the nervous system. This, in turn, triggers a response that leads to wrinkling of the skin on the fingers. On average, it takes more than five minutes in the water for this phenomenon to happen.
The skin's wrinkling pattern works as a kind of drainage system, facilitating water drainage. It would be like new tires on a wet road, where the indentations prevent possible slippage. By wrinkling the skin, we are able to prevent slipping, as well as helping to hold objects while our hands are still wet.
It is not only on the hands that the skin wrinkles, the feet also have this characteristic
To confirm this theory, researchers at the University of Newcastle carried out a study in which people were required to handle marbles immersed in water. They noticed that the agility was greater in people with wrinkled fingers compared to people with smooth fingers. This result suggests that wrinkling is an evolutionary advantage that probably facilitated the search for food in environments such as rivers and lakes.
In addition to us humans, some researchers believe that other primates also have this important adaptation. However, some studies have yet to be carried out to ensure that this is not an exclusively human skill.
