All articles tagged with #whiskers
A new study shows elephants have about 1,000 whiskers on their trunks that provide crucial tactile sensing; because these hairs don’t regrow, losing one creates a permanent sensory blind spot, highlighting how their sense of touch helps compensate for poor eyesight.
Fossil brains of early seals, known as pinnipeds, provide evidence of their underwater feeding behavior and the importance of their whiskers (vibrissae) in locating prey. The study analyzed the brain anatomy of fossil and extant carnivorans and found that the reliance on whiskers in modern pinnipeds is an ancestral feature that aided the survival of early seals in marine habitats. This research sheds light on the ecological transition of pinnipeds from terrestrial to amphibious marine species and the adaptations necessary for underwater foraging.
Zoologists have discovered that the purpose of whiskers on elephant trunks is to help the elephant gauge how much pressure to use when squeezing an object. The whiskers are thicker than those of other mammals, and are cylindrical. They do not have follicular nerves that would allow them to be used for sensory purposes. The researchers made close-up video recordings of elephant trunks in action and dissected trunks from elephants that had died to reach their conclusion.
Elephant whiskers, which are thick and immobile, likely contribute to the already highly sensitive nature of the trunk to create a uniquely maneuverable organ, according to a new study. The whiskers are arranged in specific high-density arrays on the ventral trunk and the trunk tip, and provide a haptically controlled action space for the extraordinary manipulative capacities of the elephant trunk. The study is published in the journal Communications Biology.