• Question: why do you think we have evolved to have 5 toes on each foot? and why are they hairy?

    Asked by GeorgiaDeans to Stu, Deborah on 16 Jun 2016.
    • Photo: Deborah Prunty

      Deborah Prunty answered on 16 Jun 2016:

      We probably used to have hair all over as it was how we kept warm. The hair on our feet is a left over from then.

      We have toes because they help us balance and move. Why five? I’m not entirely sure… It could be because our feet are the best size for walking on a wide range of different types of ground. Our toes need to be proportional to the size of our feet otherwise they won’t help us balance – too small and they are too week, too big and they don’t have the needed flexibility. Fives seems to be a good middle ground.

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