Claws vs. nails

Discover the evolutionary purpose of nails, and explore the theories of why they evolved from claws over 55 million years ago.

Consider the claw. Frequently found on animals around the world, it’s one of nature’s most versatile tools. Bears use claws for digging as well as defense. An eagle’s needle-like talons can pierce the skulls of their prey. Even the ancestors of primates used to wield these impressive appendages, until their claws evolved into nails. So what caused this adaptation? Matthew Borths investigates.

Lesson by Matthew Borths, directed by Augenblick Studios.

Related Readings and Videos

What your nails can tell you about your health
How to know the future in the strangest possible way?
Fu Chee – The Tiger Who Became a Son
The Bird That Builds Huge Apartments
Majestic Bears of Alaska & British Columbia
The Power Of Death
Wildest Animal Encounters Ever Recorded: Unbelievable Wildlife Moments
The most beautiful national parks of the USA
Unexpected Beauty and Unequal Duels in Saguaro National Park
Interesting & Amazing Facts - 4
Why Are Black-Spotted Croaker Fish (Protonibea Diacanthus) (Ghol Fish) So Rare And Expensive?
India has highest number of snakebites in the world
Curious Facts About Elephants
A Widow’s Prayer and an Unexpected Visitor
These are America's most beautiful rivers
Amazing Quest: Stories from Norway - Somewhere on Earth: Norway
Ravens - Intelligent Rascals of the Skies
Bird interrupts David Attenborough - Attenborough's Paradise Birds

Buxone Spotlight October 07, 2021