The many wrinkles on elephant trunks do not just give the large creatures character—they serve an actual practical purpose, as most things in nature do.
A team of scientists from multiple disciplines has conducted an investigation into why elephant trunks are so wrinkly.
They discovered that the wrinkles contribute to an individual elephant’s preference for bending its trunk to the right or the left.
Previous research has shown that the elephant trunk is made up of around 46,000 muscles. It can be turned, twisted, and bent.
Its tip can also be maneuvered, acting as a hand for grabbing food. Elephants have wrinkles on most parts of their bodies, but they are particularly prominent on their trunks and legs.
To learn more about the development and purpose of wrinkles on the trunk, the research team examined Asian and African elephants. They looked at photographs, museum specimens, and live individuals in zoos.
The photographs were of adult elephants and fetuses still in the womb. By placing the photos in chronological order, the scientists were able to track the development of wrinkles. The team found that wrinkles develop in the womb, and more are gained with age.
Since the trunk wrinkles form before birth, this suggests a specific purpose for them. The trunk wrinkles might be necessary for elephants’ abilities to lift objects and perform flexible movements.
Furthermore, during observations of the elephants, the scientists noticed that elephants have right or left “trunkedness,” just as humans can be right- or left-handed.
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