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Narwhal Tusks are Sensory Organs
PR0UD_INFIDEL writes "The New York Times is reporting that a recent study has determined that Narwhal tusks are not for fighting or breaking through ice, but are highly sensitive sensory organs. From the article: 'The close-ups showed that 10 million nerve endings tunnel from the tusk's core toward its outer surface, [and can] detect subtle changes of temperature, pressure, particle gradients and probably much else.'"
I had to search a bit but apparently this is when the amount of particles contained in a substrate changes with respect to distance and the distribution follows a pattern.
Source: here is the sight that made me understand.
This is all my speculation but I imagine this would be quite useful for narwhales since they live in a food deprived environment and could sense if they were getting closer to nutrient rich waters.
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NPR did a story on this yesterday morning.
Summary:
A Harvard dental researcher says he's figured out the purpose of the giant, unicorn-like tusk seen on narwhal whales: It acts like an antenna that allows the narwhal to sense food and sea conditions. The dentist says the tusks are a giant tooth that grows inside out, with hard tissue inside and sensitive nerves on the outside.
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Does anybody proofread these submissions?
*Narwhal* NOT narwhale...
I say we take off and nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure...
The Tusks are not used for fighting. I am a biologist, and I do not know of any marine creature with horns used for fighting. Walrusses use their tusks for fighting, but that is on land. I doubt if they would be effective in the water.
Also, teeth are not easily broken, it is one of the most resilient parts of the whole body. One of the most commonly found fossils are teeth. And if you ever have had a big toothache, you'd know that there are plenty of nerves inside them.
But the reason narwals evolved a tooth for the job is probably because it was the easiest organ at hand: it already is laced with nerve endings, the only adapations it needed was for it to grow much bigger/longer and be pointed forward.
It's funny though, some people can sense weather changes through ulcers or athritis, but these guys sense them though their teeth, and they are not even rotten. (TFA speculates that the pointing of tusks into the air while surfacing for breathing would be to check the weather).
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Narwhals are whales.