News in Brief Animals

Wrinkle arises in soggy hand studies

Experiment bucks finding that ridges help fingers grasp

WRINKLED DATA  The evidence that water-soaked fingers wrinkle to help grasp wet objects is now in dispute.

Mitchio/Flickr

By Beth Mole

- More than 2 years ago

Scientists have lost their grip on understanding why fingers wrinkle when soaked in water. An independent research group was unable to reproduce the finding that the wrinkles improve handling of wet, slippery objects.