why do humans have 10 fingers and 10 toes??
457652
Nothing special about five, it could have been four or six.  But what is amazing is that almost all four-limbed creatures have five digits on each limb.  (This is called 'pentadactyly', by the way.)  This includes primates, dogs, cats (don't forget the dew claw), wings of bats and birds, crocodiles, even whales(!).   Even horses hooves develop from one of five toes in the embryonic horse.\n\nWhy is this?  Because all four-limbed creatures developed from the same five-toed ancestor.  Yet another little piece of evidence for evolution to add to the pile.\n\nOh, one other little tidbit ... it's because we have 10 fingers that we developed a base-10 numbering system (that's why we call the 10 symbols we use in our system 'digits' (fingers), and where we get the word 'digital').
836762
Technically, we don't differ from primates since Homo sapiens are primates.  Monkeys, lemurs, apes and hominids all belong to the order Primates.   \n\nI'm assuming your question is "How do we differ from other primates?"  So, I'll answer that instead.  \n\nWe are unlike the other primates physically in that we do not have opposable thumbs on our feet.  Our hipbones are structured differently to facilitate vertical walking.  Due to this, unlike other primates, humans are the only obligatory bipedal primates.  One misconception is that humans are hairless relatives of apes.  In fact, we have just the number of hair follicles per square centimeter of skin that one would expect on an animal of our size.  It's just thought our hair is unpigmented and finer and shorter than most other animals so it's not as visible at a glance.    \n\nApart from physical characteristics, our advanced brain size and capacity exceeds that of lesser primates.  This allows us to have abstract thought and use logic and other ideas that lesser primates are capable of.  Our use of tools and external objects to compensate our physical shortcomings is unrivaled not only among other primates, but among all other organisms.  \n\nWe do have some common characteristics with primates.  After all, we are supposed to have descended from a common ancestor.  Like other primates, we have opposable thumbs on our hands.  Also, all primates have five fingers (not counting my old shop teacher, Mr. Windslow).  All primates have fingernails instead of claws, or other keratinous apendages.  In general, primates are social creatures.  All primates also have forward facing eyes, useful for depth perception.  Humans are similar to most primates in that we are both omnivorous, meaning that we have the physiology to eat and digest both plant matter and meat.
939326
Do they?\n\nI've never wondered because I've never noticed. Of course, I've bitten my fingernails for as long as I can remember, so I never have to cut them - my toenails, thankfully, are another matter.\n\nHere's an interesting paragraph on the subject:\n\n"You might have noticed that nails on the fingers grow faster than nails on the toes. You’re right! Fingernails grow faster on the longest fingers too. It has been found also that nails that are the most exposed and most used grow the fastest; if you’re a right-handed person, nails grow faster than those on the left hand, and vice-versa. Fingernails generally grow faster in young males and particularly in the summer. There isn’t any direct experimental evidence to answer the question “why,” however we might conjecture that the reason has something to do with exposure to the elements and usage."
1040842
How many toes do you have?
6895
that's kind of like asking why do we have eyebrows, or why do we have nails on our fingers and toes. It's just because we do.
1050724
I have to go with 5...if you're still typing you could only have one hand free. And if you have all 5 fingers than that's the maximum number you can have if you are using you fingers and not a piece of paper...is 5. That's my theory. :)
628612
10 - Some people just can't count the way you can!\n\n(I'm looking forward to commenting on this question, assuming other people know what you're even talking about!!!!)
1110645
Because we have opposable thumbs and use our hands to accomplish things.  Also, we, unlike other animals, have a desire to use our intelligent for our own well being.  Animals just act on instinct.
990799
the most logical answer:\n10 minus the number of finger you're not holding up!
386312
b/c the bottom of our hands and feet have an extra thick layer of skin due to the fact that we use these surfaces so much, whereas our skin that has hair on it is thinner b/c it does not endure constant friction. \ntherefore, the palms and soles do not tan/burn
901226
If you are normally constituted, and only count the appendage of your hands as fingers (i.e. no toes, no little "lady finger" pastries, etc), you should have 10, assuming that you are not one of those who insist that the thumbs are not fingers (which they are).
709821
number five is alive-robot, it is the number of fingers and toes and most kids learn to count to five easier that six because of it. but one is said to be the loniest number
1013211
because people have 32 teeth and once a teeth is gone .. they are gone ... we never have our teeth grow like many other parts like nail, hair...
243055
We have a horny (keratin) protection on our last phalanxes because we're mammals and almost all mammals have (except for whales and some others); it's something we probably inherited from our synapsid ancestors ("mammal-like reptiles"). \nAnd we have fingernails instead of claws or hooves because we're primates. All great apes have fingernails, whereas "lower" primates have claws. \n\nAt least, that's the evolutionary reason. I'm sorry if you were looking for something more philosophical!
1155314
Most likely the hair on the toes is remnants from our less evolved ancestors. Since toes, and fingers for that matter, are small and out in the open, they are highly susceptible to the elements, especially cold.  So, to fight the cold on our tiny appendages, we had little tufts of hair.  Hair is a natural way to help the body trap in heat (why do you think people shave their heads in the summer).  However, it is also likely that our ancestors had a lot more hair on their hands and feet, and thus their fingers and toes.  We didn't evolve from apes, but they do have a lot of hair don't they?
176213
Because it's a number that works. First, our bodies are symmetrical from left to right, so we're going to end up with an even number of digits, lest we be lopsided. We also are grabbers, being primates, and so we need an opposable thumb, and at least one finger for that thumb to oppose. One finger and thumb really aren't that great for grabbing though, and unless that one finger was really strong we'd be falling out of trees left and right. Several fingers add the support and versatility we need. Obviously, while adding more fingers we're going to reach a point where we have too many, where they become cumbersome. Considering the size of our hands in relation to our arms (giant Mickey Mouse hands would be unwieldy and look weird), it seems that four thin fingers and one thumb works out just fine. There are people and other animals who get by with fewer (and sometimes, more) digits. Looking across the animal kingdom, this 5 digit construction is rather common, though not every species has an opposable thumb. Even animals without digits per say, still have 5 similar bones where the digits would be (like bats). That doesn't really answer the core question of why we have them, but it answers why the number we have works so well.
976573
Common ancestor.  It's like having five fingers--it's not necessarily the ultimately best number of fingers to have, but the bone arrangement has been around since we got it from the actinopteryginii and possibly even before.  We just happened to get it from the animal that happened to make it.  Evolution can work in favor of dumb luck, occasionally.