Media release

From: The Royal Society

Nailed it - Humans can precisely localise a touch to the fingernail. Nineteen participants’ fingernails were touched at nine different locations and they judged the location by clicking a mouse cursor on a photograph of their finger. All participants identified the location of pressure with accuracy comparable to the fingertip itself, suggesting fingernails may have important sensory functions. Proceedings B

Precise tactile localisation on the human fingernail

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

While most mammals have claws on each digit, primates such as humans have nails instead. The role of fingernails in perceiving and acting on the world, however, remains poorly understood. This study investigated a basic tactile ability on the fingernails, localizing precisely where a touch was applied. On each trial, the fingernail was touched and the participant clicked a mouse cursor on a photograph of their fingernail to indicate where they felt the touch. These judgments were highly accurate, showing that humans are able to precisely localize touch on the fingernails. These results suggest that the fingernails may be involved in our ability to perceive the world using our hands.