Grapevine

Scientists study elephant wrinkles to understand their purpose

A multidisciplinary team of scientists has conducted a study of Asian and African elephant wrinkles to learn more about their purpose. In their study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group studied zoo animals, museum specimens and photographs to learn more about the development and purpose of elephant wrinkles.

Prior research has shown that the elephant trunk is a remarkable anatomical structure—made of some 46,000 muscles, it can be bent, turned, twisted and flapped depending on the needs of its owner. Its tip is also moveable, acting as a hand or hook to help retrieve food.

Less well studied regarding the trunk, and the rest of an elephant, the researchers on this new effort noted, are its wrinkles. Elephants have wrinkles on most parts of their bodies, but they are most prominent on their legs and especially their trunks.

To learn more about the reason for the wrinkles, the research team studied how both Asian and African elephants in zoos moved and used their trunks. They also looked at preserved tissue and studied photographs of elephants still in the womb. By placing such photographs together to form a timeline, they were able to track the development of wrinkles.

The research team found that wrinkles develop while elephants are still in the womb; the animals grow increasingly more wrinkled as they age. They serve a specific purpose on the trunk, helping with shape shifting and when lifting objects.