Fingerprint ridges allow primates to regulate grip
Abstract
Why have primates evolved epidermal ridges on the volar regions of the hands and feet and with a much greater density of sweat glands than flat skin, which respond to anxiety rather than act as a thermoregulation mechanism? During contact with solid objects, the ridges are important for grip and precision manipulation by regulating moisture levels from either external sources or the sweat pores so that the friction is maximized and catastrophic slip is inhibited. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved has become particularly important with the almost ubiquitous contact of the finger pads with flat screens and recent developments in haptic feedback using ultrasonic vibrations for which the performance is critically related to the friction.
- Publication:
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.2001055117
- Bibcode:
- 2020PNAS..11731665Y
- Keywords:
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- finger pad friction;
- capillary evaporation;
- epidermal ridge function;
- moisture regulation