Researchers have found the reason why our fingers and toes get "pruney" when we stay in water too long.

... To help us grip wet objects.

When a person's hands and feet are soaked in water, wrinkles develop on the tips of fingers and toes. Scientists had thought it was the outermost layer of skin absorbing and swelling with water, but new studies showed that the nervous system actively controlled the wrinkling by constricting blood vessels below the skin. That means that because the nervous system controls this, the wrinkles serve a purpose.

** It seems that wrinkled fingers give a better grip in wet conditions. It could be like treads on car tires, which let more of the tire be in contact with the road and gives the car a better grip.

** Another possibility is that wrinkling causes changes in the skin's flexibility or stickiness, which help the fingers and toes perform better when wet.