Claws vs. nails - Matthew Borths

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.
Animator's website: www.augenblick...
Sign up for our newsletter: bit.ly/TEDEdNew...
Support us on Patreon: bit.ly/TEDEdPat...
Follow us on Facebook: bit.ly/TEDEdFac...
Find us on Twitter: bit.ly/TEDEdTwi...
Peep us on Instagram: bit.ly/TEDEdIns...
View full lesson: ed.ted.com/les...
Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Brandy Sarver, Guy Hardy, Tu-Anh Nguyen, Karl Laius, Madee Lo, JY Kang, Marc Bou Zeid, Abhishek Goel, Charles A Hershberger, Coenraad Keuning, Robert Seik, Heidi Stolt, Alexis Hevia, Todd Gross, Brady Jones, Christina Salvatore, Zhong Ming Zenny Tan, Karisa Caudill, Bruno Pinho, Derek Drescher, Mihail Radu Pantilimon, Amin Shahril, Mohamed Elsayed, Barthélémy Michalon, Chumi Ogbonna, Karlee Finch, Mohammad Said, jj5252, Kelvin Lam, Mauricio Basso, Athena Grace Franco, Tirath Singh Pandher, Melvin Williams, Tsz Hin Edmund Chan, Nicolas Silva, Raymond Lee, Kurt Almendras, Denise A Pitts, Abdallah Absi, Dee Wei, Richard A Berkley, Tim Armstrong, Daniel Nester, Hashem Al, denison martins fernandes, Doug Henry, Arlene Spiegelman, Michał Friedrich and Joshua Wasniewski.

[@GajanaNigade]

I love tha fact that the script incorporates puns more often than not. It's an indication that the people are having fun at work.

[@GajanaNigade]

@@fayyaz5785 Well... I'm a 'glass half full' kind of guy.

[@indigofenrir7236]

@@GajanaNigade That glass is half-full of air molecules.

[@GajanaNigade]

@@indigofenrir7236 Mmmm... Air. Yummm...

[@RikkuTakanashi]

Puns are also funny and if you weren't paying attention before, you do when a pun is told. It breaks up the mono-ness of a flat, straight to the point, sentence and makes it just a little bit more interesting.

[@thejudge4546]

Gajanan Nigade and I’m an “it’s matter” type of guy

[@hydris3664]

“Animals with nails on the other hand” 2:18 I see what you did there Ted-Ed

[@eliass144]

Hiding poison in honey ...

[@amogusinsuster9560]

MrFatilo yes we are big walking plants from fairy land

[@uhhuh1291]

Takafi Elias How in the world is that poison?

[@uhhuh1291]

Getnoob And sub to pewdpie I don’t understand why it is called propaganda if most people who are specialists in those areas agree that this is true. If we are not animals, then what are we? Lego people?

[@ate313]

MrFatilo huh

[@moujeshagrawal9393]

I wish I had such animations and narrations in my school *Great Going TedEd*

[@moujeshagrawal9393]

#TeamTrees

[@moujeshagrawal9393]

Thanks TedEd for a heart!!!!

[@creatoranonymous8568]

So true

[@moujeshagrawal9393]

@The Flaneur lmfao

[@geertvanrijn1538]

They nailed it!

[@kylenetherwood8734]

Imagine having huge ears like an elephant then hearing with your toe nails.

[@RoScFan]

That size is for thermoregulation. not hearing

[@avikdas4055]

@@RoScFan R/whoosh

[@VictorD264]

The elephants ears are big helping them to comunicate at long distances

[@santoshd6613]

Omggg I laughed out so loud.....

[@janjacobfernandez5527]

One word Lord Toph The Greatest Earth Bender

[@RuriDaisy]

"Nails and claws are the same." *looking at some nails art trend these days* . Weeeeell, that make a sense.

[@zyaicob]

I have claws on my pinky toes

[@hzzx0739]

@@zyaicob what

[@zubair-rp1ie]

@@hzzx0739 well, we kinda do

[@csar07.]

KZbin users admit to having claws on their feet.

[@The_Firevenus]

Spot on Ted Ed even put nail pun at the end, spot on

[@blauesserpiroyal2887]

One could say, they nailed it

[@thedude4039]

Yeah, spot on! One might even say that they... nailed it.

[@awanderingp3rson]

"I nailed it!" ~Naily, BFB, multiple occasions

[@flesh_on_the_skillet]

You could say they NAILed it.

[@Evercreeper]

They scratched that off their bucket list

[@tivenfn3512]

That punch line at the end though 😂 4:50

[@rise1above]

Nailed it

[@1.4142]

"scratched the surface"

[@azulBjort_1406]

Golden nail 😂😂

[@FakenameStevens]

You laughed at that?

[@somerandomcommenter7228]

its called a pun and sometimes it's painful

[@hinderance4060]

"We all live in a matrix" -A random piece of keratine

[@CeaselessWatcher5818]

Undderated comment

[@christianandersen4749]

Kristi A. Teguh true

[@liviilazii7679]

Okay, just finished the video, you guys have done a fantastic job! What a lesson. I'd usually say " I wish this was presented at school" but instead I'll say: Thank you so much for taking the time to create this. I've always wondered why do we have nails and now I've been given an answer! Very well done, incredibly well animated, narrated and loads of actually useful information. Bravo!

[@jhngrc_]

Love it when puns aren't announced. I roll my eyes whenever I hear "pun intended."

[@robertawagu2778]

Creativity overload! From the animation to the narration. Love it

[@osse1n]

2019: nails are evolving to become claws again

[@Quantum-Bullet]

O'SSÉIN - Master Your Mind With Me imagine touch screens.

[@harveybeaver9731]

How retro of them!

[@roguishpaladin]

That's not how evolution works. Evolution doesn't have a target that it aims for. A variety of traits presents in a given generation and those traits which do not hinder the possessor from reproduction get passed on. It's a very important distinction.

[@morningglory.2]

@@roguishpaladin Hey, I don’t think you got that. It was a joke.

[@rebelli65]

And that’s called an r/wooooosh

[@Theraot]

The cells grow out from the matrix, Mr. Anderson.

[@rickandelon9374]

Alfonso J. Ramos yup

[@oldcowbb]

this is extra funny because the narrator really is mr.anderson

[@MrDvfdsv]

scratched the surface nail down why we itch lul i love this channel

[@rickandelon9374]

Nails on the other hand!

[@rickandelon9374]

Animals with nails on the other hand!

[@awentuszioniusa8171]

Clear, Simple & Vastly informative!

[@ziggy8253]

“Welcome to the Keratin Matrix.” -Morpheus 1:24

[@liviilazii7679]

Well done, who ever animated this needs a pat on the back. Well done narrator! I am learning because there is laughter!

[@beastwarsFTW]

Nails are also useful for cleaning, not only can they scratch skin without doing to much damage but they can also remove dirt or biomass from tools primates use.

[@AgnesRonan]

Pretty handy that we evolved these dandy tree grabbers. They help me get a handle on a situation when I'm in a pinch.

[@overcookedwater1947]

When I was a child I used to clip my nails into the shape of claw and pretend I was any clawed creature whilst scratching my other siblings

[@emza8964]

OML i gotta try that on my sis -muahahahah-

[@overcookedwater1947]

@@emza8964 hahaha do it. 😈

[@PapiBandz]

That’s tight

[@conceptdrive9733]

I still do it and I must say it even has some useful applications.

[@berbal9658]

Im gonna assume you are a girl because something like that is too complicated of a plan to annoy siblings as a boy Also long nails look kinda weird idk

[@TH__TranPhuongQuynh]

I love Ted ed videos, it never makes me disappointed 💕

[@jakobraahauge7299]

BRILLIANT animation! Just gorgeous - goes beautifully with the great text and the narration! That was truly a gem! 💎

[@longplaygames]

Bright too.

[@PandaBeatsStudios]

This is a really a good and thought-provoking lesson in claws and nails. I guess you could say Ted-Ed really... *Nailed it*?

[@mustizgaming]

haha very funny

[@FakenameStevens]

Riiight.

[@iSyriux]

This is soooo SOOOO funny boi boi su funny and the best condment ever ,. ! !! very funny jokes,2021 and funnyCemment Pliz and computer comment KZbin free Visit 2021 Coment Sooo funny the best comment go ever !! Consider

[@iSyriux]

This is the a funny comment funny funy funny funny laughing ,Good Time 😂😂😂 Lol

[@iSyriux]

So funny me Lol lol lol lollllll kk

[@010Gama]

I always wondered if (even if they’re not claws anymore) nails have the capacity to truly hurt or mangle tissue, like, in self defense, can you actually make a deep wound just by scratching someone with your nails? Specially if you keep them long and well.

[@FirstnameLastname-xh9gd]

Yes

[@arvindr1838]

Advantages of Nails: Can always win a match of rock paper and scissors with claw bearing animals.

[@somerandomcommenter7228]

I saw that pun, well it's fine being a claw *bear*ing animal

[@yumnaamjad2637]

i love the voice of this narrator so soothing

[@talentlesscommentermdxxvii9419]

Yeah you’re weird.

[@ayeletnechmad3874]

Beautiful animation and interesting video, Teded never let's me down 👏👏👏

[@rekhagoka4392]

Love the narration and the animation

[@tazia321]

Every night before I go to sleep, I would watch a few TED Ed videos. When I eventually go to sleep, my dreams are often would like the graphics you’d see in the videos 😌

[@datura9441]

My dreams look like borderlands graphics

[@aren4073]

Anyone else took a look at their nails 😂

[@tuesdaywithanh]

I had to go google if monkeys have fingernails. I know it says so, but it wasn't *super* clear...

[@sirrivet9557]

Oh god my nails are long. If I was a girl that’d be fine, but I’m a guy and my grandma freaks out seeing them

[@lilac9346]

@@sirrivet9557 Wear your long nails with pride! Nice nails are for everyone!

[@itsskyzee4537]

😂

[@VoltFall]

Since when did you know how to write properly Mr.stonks

[@reymundalagos9889]

You nailed this animation again.

[@plant5875]

why

[@shoulders-of-giants]

THE ANIMATOR DESERVES A NOBEL PRIZE ❤️

[@longplaygames]

I think those are Oscars for short animation.

[@lunaaurorabaudelaire1958]

When you drop some acid with your homies 4:46

[@shawnblondin]

10/10

[@black_platypus]

Such a cute animation, but still visually helpful where it counts :)

[@anitha998]

Loved the animation and the cinematography!

[@sdrawkcabdaernacuoy]

Great video! You nailed it!

[@Alkalus]

Stop, just stop...🤣😂

[@indigofenrir7236]

Man, the pun delivery is good. I'd say you guys nailed it.

[@KJ-ve4iy]

You nailed it! Great job!

[@lysseul2138]

They nailed this animation! 👌

[@Chigo-nr8jg]

4:42...the eagle is like “WTF! Your finger!!” Primate: *trippin* The manatee chilling with his herbs

[@gaganbharadwaj7559]

TED-Ed just *nailed* with this video.

[@Alkalus]

Ted-Ed did a really good job animating this...

[@hero9402]

i love visual animation of every ted-ed video

[@MakubexIsVik]

Very creative video. Can you guys do a video of what goes behind the scenes to make such excellent videos?

[@ranigoud1942]

the animations are mindblowing they are just too awsome

[@aishabisha1628]

My 4-year-old (3.5 at the time actually) started reciting this verbatim out of nowhere - glad I could find where he got it from! He can make it to the 50 second mark...

[@Ashod00]

"We've only scratched the surface of all the incredible ways nails and claws are used throughout the animal kingdom, but as for which of these adaptations is better, that's an answer we may never nail down." How many puns can they put in a sentence?

[@jubel742]

2 as you can see

[@daisythomas127]

i love watching not for learning just for amusement thank you for entertaining me every day!!!

[@1Manda1]

You Nailed it Ted-Ed

[@spycrab3723]

Question: do Nails have layers? I asked this beacuse when i was playing a guitar, a part of my nail was folded, but not the whole thing.

[@Tatiana-jt9hd]

Mico Lim i’ve has that before. i think so. gotta check google.

[@spycrab3723]

Ok

[@connorsimmonds9698]

Theyre like ogres or onions. They have layers

[@ate313]

Connor Simmonds ogres?😂

[@tcs15]

They do.

[@marmalade8915]

Another cool and fun thing evolution took from us

[@bruskydu]

I was clipping my nails when this showed up in my recommendations. Impeccable timing

[@rafi7252]

TED-Ed nailed it

[@captainsmoker3466]

0è465ė444į

[@lucrentrisastolo6862]

Another Great video, thanks Ted - Ed!

[@lara_xy]

Loving the animation in this one

[@sulahmonize5576]

Ted-Ed videos make me think about things I never knew I should have been thinking about.

[@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522]

Humans were to op when they started throwing things so devs removed claws to nerf them a Little

[@bruh-dj5uo]

Little did they know it would backfire

[@deepakrksheerasagar5452]

Paweł Andonis Gawralidis Dobrzański herbu Leliwa. u here from tierzoo?

[@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522]

@@deepakrksheerasagar5452 yeah he is a real pro

[@vukkulvar9769]

Can they remove our little toe and finger ? No more hitting a furniture on the toe !

[@legitimate8463]

Tierzoo

[@ethanpkaiser]

This is a video I didn’t want but actually needed

[@Weirdoid]

Do hair vs fur next. I always wondered if our hair evolved from underfur or guard hairs.

[@husein881]

4:51 Nailed it!

[@PhillipAmthor]

*You guys nailed it!*

[@bratwurstmitbiryani]

Flawless animation, like every time

[@ACivillage]

those animations are really good

[@deanab-se5op]

Good as always!

[@Wild_Beary]

You nailed all the puns. Congrats brother

[@nomobobby]

Admit it, you were checking your hands at least once in this video. Btw, thanks for another great animation Ted Ed!

[@VictorPet.]

4:50 that's how every party I am in looks like

[@sethleoric2598]

You guys nailed it

[@rosellaaj3709]

3:49 that is what happens when you get false nails at the salon

[@noemibaudelaire7151]

aww Ted you nailed it again!💅🏻

[@realpityview]

You nailed that pun. 04:49

[@ljubicamilicevic944]

This artstyle is so pretty!

[@atenakitabi3769]

Great video, it should I say, you Nailed it!

[@mjstory1976]

Awesome and informative video

[@Rodiacreed]

A pretty informative video and the animation is entertaining like always.

[@noahisaiahdechavez2693]

i like how they sat in front of a fire and ate the food they acquired. pretty nice ted ed.

[@edi9892]

I'd like to point out that nails can be very useful tools for creatures with good eyesight and fine motor skills (wonder if it's only humans). We can remove ticks, splinters, fishbones... or peal fruits, etc. Etc.

[@xenox-ie7cr]

you really ... NAILED that last joke there

[@jamdc2000]

nice video, you nailed it

[@rachelthibodeaux4163]

WOW this really cut deep in my life

[@spycrab3723]

Good job, Ted-Ed, i loved the pun at the end! And never have i known, that, our ancestors actually had claws! And Manatees actually have nails?

[@d.2217]

3:38 that walk though.

[@mandelbrodt]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpOmdXmEh6ZgjdE

[@CuteLittleHen]

You really *nailed* the puns on this one.

[@lara_xy]

Loved the animation of this! I was literally about to google why we have nails

[@mariadelacruz1153]

My manicures are Stilletto nails(pointy nails cut). They are useful for opening stuff, papers, plastics and picking up things is easy. I guess i kinda have claws.

[@caesar7734]

4:39 “We have only scratched the surface” 4:50 “That’s an answer that we may never nail down”

[@smarchz]

Good work

[@J.5.M.]

Love how this video ended around the campfire ☺️

[@charlieg2262]

There's something hilarious about the way the ape moves and acts

[@warsameadam5572]

This videos sheds a light on how my wife reacquired claws when she got back from the nail salon.

[@1.4142]

"scratched the surface" nailed it!

[@ammaokami4479]

My cat usually tries to use her claws for grasping. Like when I go to stop petting her she'll reach out and gently hook my hand/fingers. I don't think she's ever intentionally scratched me

[@monikakavaliunaite8017]

I'm currently working on a short story where the main characters are completely human and this video just saved me from making the mistake of giving the characters claws. So thanks

[@BuddyL]

Plus, they're exemplary of our evolved fashion sense. 💅🏿

[@0901강민재]

사람의 손톱과 동물의 발톱의 공통점과 차이점에 대하여 배웠습니다. 차이점이 손가락의 뼈의 구조가 다르다는것이 재미있었습니다. 사람의 손톱은 얇은 나무가지를 잡기에 유리한것과 같이 손톱의 장점이 생각보다 많다는 것을 배웠습니다. 좋은 동영상 감사합니다.

[@nicoleyarwood9194]

Please do a video one what exactly is a protein and what are the different kinds?

[@TheOnlyZiTRO]

love the animation

[@jeewansingh4060]

I just love this old school animation.

[@azraaydiin]

Wow i always wondered the starting point of nail on the fingers. Thx teacher

[@petehoffs8804]

Lovely animation 😄