# Claws vs. nails

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED-Ed
- Speaker: Matthew Borths
- Year: 2019
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Biology, Teaching and learning
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_borths_claws_vs_nails)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

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. \[Directed by Augenblick Studios, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by GDM Production Music\].

## Lectures

1. [Claws vs. nails](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/matthew_borths_claws_vs_nails/d97e6a7e9210), 5 min (TED's player)