Elephant trunks are all-purpose appendages, suited for gently grasping foliage, such as singular blades of grass, as well as uprooting whole tree trunks.
In the face of such versatility, there’s still a lot to learn about the mechanics of elephant trunks. In fact, recent research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that there’s more than muscle moving this flexible appendage. According to the study, the folded skin at the front of the trunk adds to an elephant’s mobility, allowing the animal to stretch out and pick up faraway objects. The findings, the researchers say, could improve scientific efforts to protect and preserve elephant populations and could also inspire innovations in the field of robotics.
