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The Independent
13-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Scientists discover narwhals putting their long tusks to surprising new use
Drone footage has captured narwhals using their iconic long tusks to engage in previously unseen behaviour, including to play with their food, leaving scientists perplexed. The Arctic whale species, also an inspiration for mythical beasts such as the unicorn, have tusks that grow up to 10m, especially in males. However, the many functions of the long tusks are debated as very few researchers have observed these elusive animals use their tusks in the wild. Previous studies have revealed that the spiralling tusks are the mammal's canine teeth that are pushed out through their lips. sensory organ by itself, helping the whales measure the salt concentration of water. Now a new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, scientists provide the first evidence of narwhals using their tusks to probe, manipulate and influence the behaviour of the fish Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). 'This unique study where we set up a remote field camp and spent time filming narwhals with drones is yielding many interesting insights and is providing a bird's eye view of their behaviour that we have never seen before,' said Cortney Watt, an author of the study. "Our observations provide clear evidence of narwhals chasing fish and using their tusks to interact directly with the fish and to influence the fish's behaviour," said Greg O'Corry-Crowe, another author of the study. The marine mammals used remarkable dexterity in using their tusk with regular adjustments to track their moving target, scientists say. They used the tip of their tusk to interrogate and manipulate fish with brief contact, eliciting a response from the fish, the study noted. Narwhals were also spotted delivering sufficient force with their tusks to stun and possibly kill the fish. Overall, researchers captured 17 distinct tusk-use behaviours among narwhals, shedding light on their dynamics with their prey and with other competitors like birds. One of the drone footage shows evidence of what seems like playful behaviour by narwhals in a changing Arctic. The footage hold clues to better understanding social learning, instruction, and personality differences among individual narwhals, scientists say. They also document for the first time complex interactions between narwhals, fish and birds. One of these interactions includes what scientists call an attempted kleptoparasitism, or a "food thief" situation between narwhals and gulls. Researchers suspect changing environmental conditions in the Arctic might be introducing such new interspecies encounters. "Narwhals are known for their 'tusking' behaviour, where two or more of them simultaneously raise their tusks almost vertically out of the water, crossing them in what may be a ritualistic behaviour to assess a potential opponent's qualities or to display those qualities to potential mates," Dr O'Corry-Crowe said. "But now we know that narwhal tusks have other uses, some quite unexpected, including foraging, exploration and play,' he said.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Remarkable Drone Footage Reveals How Narwhals Use Their Tusks
With a fabled ability to purify tainted water or heal ailments, the narwhal's spiraling tusk was highly coveted during the Middle Ages when it was mistaken for a unicorn's horn. As narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are almost as elusive as the fantasy they helped fuel, researchers have had a tough time determining what the marine mammal's oddly elongated tooth is actually for. Drone footage of a pod in their Arctic habitat now provides some unexpected answers, with the animals using their tusks to manipulate objects, forage, explore, and even play. "I have been studying narwhal for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks," says University of Manitoba ecologist Cortney Watt. "To observe them using their tusks for foraging and play is remarkable." The tusk, which can grow up to 3 meters (9 feet) long, is the only tooth possessed by these toothed whales. Like the rings on a tree, its growth layers record an individual's life history. Yet most female narwhals lack tusks, revealing the spear-like tooth is – at least in part – involved in sexual selection. Females prefer males with longer tusks, placing evolutionary pressure on populations to grow even longer tusks similar to how male peacocks are encouraged to grow such elaborately fancy tails. That doesn't mean the tusk is purely decorative. A previous study discovered the tusk is also crammed with nerves, hinting at more complex roles. The new footage and analysis confirm the narwhal's mysterious tooth has a sensitive side. "Narwhals are known for their 'tusking' behavior, where two or more of them simultaneously raise their tusks almost vertically out of the water, crossing them in what may be a ritualistic behavior to assess a potential opponent's qualities or to display those qualities to potential mates," explains Florida Atlantic University ecologist Greg O'Corry-Crowe. "But now we know that narwhal tusks have other uses, some quite unexpected, including foraging, exploration, and play." O'Corry-Crowe and colleagues filmed a pod of narwhals using their tusks to manipulate the behavior of fish with remarkable precision while tracking their prey's movements. This included stunning or possibly killing them. "The whale and fish movements were so closely mirrored, it was unclear at times which animal was the primary actor and who was the responder," the team writes in their report. In another sequence, a younger narwhal tried to copy the technique of an older individual who was hot on the heels of a fish, the senior narwhal's tusk within centimeters of the prey. The younger hunter's tusk came barely within a meter of its target. Neither mammal actually tried to eat the prey, suggesting this was practice or even a form of entertainment. If so, it may be the first ever evidence of play in the creaking and chirping narwhals, as well as a possible example of social learning, the researchers suggest. Sadly, the shielding sea ice these sea unicorns rely on to avoid their predators, like orcas, is now rapidly melting thanks to human-caused global warming. The Arctic is warming four times as fast as the rest of the world, and narwhals are considered the region's most vulnerable marine mammals. "Drones provide a unique, real-time view of their behavior, helping scientists gather crucial data on how narwhals are responding to shifts in ice patterns, prey availability, and other environmental changes," says O'Corry-Crowe. "Such studies are key to understanding the impact of global warming on these elusive animals." This research was published in Frontiers in Marine Science. Largest Insect on Earth Headed For Extinction Thanks to Our Love of Chocolate The Sun's Activity Can Trigger Earthquakes, And Now We Know How These Woolly Mice Bring The Mammoth's De-Extinction a Step Closer
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Narwhals spotted using tusks for non-mating fun
With their long, spiral tusks, narwhals (Monodon monoceros) look like something out of a fairy tale. Primarily seen in male narwhals, these single elongated teeth that can grow up to 10 feet. These gregarious whales typically travel in pods of two to 10 individuals, but are a bit elusive and difficult to study in the wild. Scientists believe that the tusks are primarily used in competition for mates, but that might not be the whole story. New drone evidence detailed in a study published February 28 in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science found that narwhals can use their tusks to forage, explore their surroundings, and even play. 'Narwhals are known for their 'tusking' behavior, where two or more of them simultaneously raise their tusks almost vertically out of the water, crossing them in what may be a ritualistic behavior to assess a potential opponent's qualities or to display those qualities to potential mates,' Greg O'Corry-Crowe, a study co-author and biologist specializing in marine mammals at FAU Harbor Branch and a National Geographic Explorer, said in a statement. 'But now we know that narwhal tusks have other uses, some quite unexpected, including foraging, exploration and play.' Equipped with drones, an international team of researchers in the Arctic spotted the first evidence of narwhales using their tusks to investigate, manipulate, and influence the behavior of a fish called Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus). They use their tusks to hit the fish with such force that the fish are subsequently stunned–and possibly killed. In total, the team representing scientists from Florida Atlantic University's (FAU) Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and Inuit communities in Nunavut in Canada's High Arctic captured 17 distinct behaviors in the narwhals. These actions shed some light on the dynamics between these photogenic Arctic mammals and the fish and birds that live alongside of these dynamics came in the form of a kleptoparasitism–or 'food thief' situation–between a narwhal, fish, and glaucous gulls (Larus hyperboreus). Additionally, they saw the first evidence of likely play in narwhals. They observed a type of play called exploratory-object play. During this type of play, animals handle an object as a way to learn. Human babies stacking blocks together and how dogs and cats play with toys are examples of exploratory-object play. They also show evidence of social learning, social instruction, and personality differences among individual narwhals. 'I have been studying narwhal for over a decade and have always marveled at their tusks,' study co-author and Fisheries and Oceans, Canada research scientist Cortney Watt said in a statement. 'To observe them using their tusks for foraging and play is remarkable. This unique study where we set up a remote field camp and spent time filming narwhal with drones is yielding many interesting insights and is providing a bird's eye view of their behavior that we have never seen before.' According to the team, the narwhals showed remarkable dexterity, precision, and speed of movement of the tusk. They also regularly made adjustments to track a moving target. The tip of the tusk was used to interrogatedand manipulate the target in short bursts. The fish typically responded to these brushes with the narwhal tusk. [ Related: Narwhal tusks are full of illuminating secrets. ] 'Our observations provide clear evidence of narwhals chasing fish and using their tusks to interact directly with the fish and to influence the fish's behavior,' said O'Corry-Crowe. 'Some of the interactions we saw appeared competitive in nature with one whale blocking or trying to block another whale's access to the same target fish, while others may have been more subtle, possibly communicative and even affiliative. None appeared overtly aggressive.' Some of the social behaviors among the whales–inlcuding learning from one another–also suggests that these social processes might speed up the behavioral adaptation in response to changes in the Arctic. Some parts of the Arctic are warming three times faster than the rest of the planet, depending on the region and time of year. 'To understand how narwhals are being affected by and adapting to the changing Arctic, field studies using innovative, non-invasive tools like drones are essential to observe them in their natural environment without disturbing them,' said O'Corry-Crowe. 'Drones provide a unique, real-time view of their behavior, helping scientists gather crucial data on how narwhals are responding to shifts in ice patterns, prey availability and other environmental changes. Such studies are key to understanding the impact of global warming on these elusive animals.'
