Wednesday, January 09, 2013

The Evolutionary Advantages of Wrinkled Fingers When Wet

I was always wondering why fingers and toes become wrinkled when wet. A new study has shed some interesting light on the subject. (It appears to be basically for traction, much like the treads in a tire.) Very cool!

The research reported in this article was done by biologists. Given the topic, I was actually thinking that certain fluid mechanists I know might have been involved. :) I wouldn't be surprised if some of them picked up this problem in the future. (Tip of the cap to I Fucking Love Science.)

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