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EleFact Friday: The Sensitive But Powerful Trunk

None of us here in the GSE family are strangers to the fact that elephant trunks are capable of some amazing things. From slinging dirt and dust, to aiding in some occasional mischief, the trunk of an elephant is just one part of what makes them incredible animals. Recent research has proven this fact and shown us how true it really is. 

Researchers at the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience in Berlin have recently discovered that the nerve bundle in the trunk of an elephant is one of the largest known structures of its type in the entire animal kingdom. By studying the trigeminal ganglion, which is a network of nerves in the trunk that extends into the elephant’s face, the team found that each structure weighed approximately 50 grams, and that elephants have 2 separate bundles of these nerves. For reference, our retinas weigh only about .3 grams. These elephant ganglions are composed of approximately 400,000 individual nerves, more than anyone had ever predicted before. The main nerve in the trunk is approximately three times the thickness of their optic nerve. Historically, scientists have found that optic nerves typically have far more neurons than nerves related to touch because the visual system is thought to be more complicated. However, this thickness points to how much information can be carried by the neurons and how precise the trunk’s touch system may be.

This study is quite eye opening for the research world and suggests that the trunk of an elephant may be among the most sensitive body parts in the entire animal kingdom.

Photo of Bambi and her lovely trunk, holding a single piece of hay

Comments(5)

  1. REPLY
    Katie Howard says

    Amazing stuff! I believe elephants may be the most remarkably engineered animals ever! Thanks for the info. ❤️🐘❤️

  2. REPLY
    Barb says

    Look how incredibly sensitive her trunk is to hold such a small piece of hay! Amazing!

  3. REPLY
    Beji says

    Just fascinating. Such good and clear info.

  4. REPLY
    John says

    Elephants are simply amazing. No doubt about it.

  5. REPLY
    Carey says

    Fascinating, and wow, a trunk is an amazing body part!

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