Why do we have fingernails?

Question

what is the soul perpose of them? there to weak to help hunt. and they don't profide us with any health (or take any) from our bodies.

so why do we have finger and toe nails?

Answer 1

A very interesting question actually!

I tend to probably agree with the answer above me...they are a means of traction and grip.  

Answer 2

For picking boogers and scratching.................

Answer 3

they are actually skin. but there MANY MANY more layers of askin which makes it hard. its evolution. back in the days they were used to prolly stab your food and get a hold of it.  

Answer 4

They protect the layer of skin under the nails.

Answer 5

they are still quite useful in primitive societies, you can cut some vegetation with them and fight each other, but they are a leftover when we were climbing trees like a squirrel

Answer 6

I don't know about your nails, but mine are strong enough to 'hurt' something if I wanted to! Having said so, apes then to be mainly vegetarian! So guess nails would only be used to tear up plant matter mainly! (when humans still lived in jungles/ on trees).

  Thats basically it - hunting and defense!

Answer 7

Mammals have always had them for traction or clawing.  Human fingernails are more adapted for minor "tool work".  Ever tried picking up a coin from a table without using a fingernail?