13.02.2026 18:04
A study in Germany showed that approximately 1,000 hairs on an elephant's trunk enhance the elephants' sense of touch and play an important role in social interaction.
Scientists have revealed that the hairs on an elephant's trunk, which resemble cat whiskers in appearance, enhance the animal's sense of touch and play a significant role in social interaction.
In a study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany, it was determined that the hairs, which are concentrated particularly at the tip of the elephants' trunks and number around 1000, although they resemble cat or mouse whiskers in appearance, differ structurally.
KEY ROLE IN SENSE OF TOUCH
The study showed that these special hairs play a key role in the elephants' sense of touch, allowing them to perceive their surroundings with precision and grasp objects in a highly controlled manner despite their thick skin and poor eyesight.
The study found that the hairs produce vibrations that can distinguish contact points, and these vibrations are detected by nerve cells in the trunk.
"ENABLING COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER ELEPHANTS"
The study reported that this allows elephants to hold food without crushing or breaking it, communicate with other elephants, and engage in mutual interactions.
The researchers stated that they aim to develop new robotic touch sensors inspired by the elephant's sensitive touch ability. The details of the study were published in the journal "Science."