There is a difference between human teeth and animal teeth, and most animal teeth are sharper and sharper, such as tiger teeth. This can also help them easily bite through the body of their prey when hunting for food. As humans age, their teeth will also relax, and finally they will be left with nothing left, and their chewing ability will also deteriorate.
Tiger hunting
There is a big difference between human teeth and animal teeth in that some animal fangs can be made into crafts for collection. As we all know, ivory is often polished into crafts, and humans will carve exquisite patterns on it and then auction it as an auction item. However, in order to protect elephants, many countries have banned the ivory trade. In addition to ivory, there is another animal in the animal kingdom whose teeth are more expensive than ivory, which is the teeth of a narwhal.
handicraft
It is said that its value can be comparable to the value of gold, and it has been crowned as the most arrogant animal in the animal kingdom. So what are the peculiarities of its teeth, and where is the value reflected?
The "most arrogant" animal in the world
Narwhals can also be called horned whales. The narwhal has a long and thick pointed horn, the sharp horns take a spiral shape, and the legend will associate the unicorn with it, so it is called a narwhal. Narwhals live in the cold Arctic, and humans have always maintained a sense of curiosity about them.
narwhal
The narwhal is predominantly white and has a few black markings on the back. After entering the old age, the color of the narwhal's body will also change, and the black markings on the back will slowly fade, leaving only a little mark. Newborn narwhals are black, and as they grow and develop, slowly, the black of the patches will gradually turn into lumpy black spots. The sharp horn of the narwhal mentioned earlier is actually its tusks, which are the left teeth of an adult male narwhal, which continue to grow throughout its life until the thorns put on the lips, usually protruding about 2-3 meters from the head. Although each adult narwhal has two teeth, the left tooth of a male narwhal grows out, and the two teeth of a female narwhal and the right tooth of a male narwhal are embedded in the gumbed and do not grow.
The left tooth of a narwhal
Scientists have found that most mammals have a layer of enamel on the surface of their teeth, called tooth enamel, which is more wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and can protect the inside of the teeth. Under its protection, people can eat what they want, but once it is destroyed, it will lead to more serious dental problems. On the teeth of narwhals, no tooth enamel is found, that is, the bone inside the teeth is completely exposed. But scientists have also found that the exposed bone is covered with small holes, which are connected to nerve cells, which means that the teeth have the ability to detect and transmit the outside situation to the brain through the teeth.
Structure of human teeth
Narwhals generally move in small groups, but also by age group. Hundreds of narwhals can usually be seen gathering in large groups during the summer months. The teeth of narwhals are also very lethal, and it is easy to stab their own kind or other animals, so the teeth have also become a weapon for narwhals to compete for territory and food. Male narwhals also attack with their teeth when competing for mate rights, and many narwhals have a higher chance of their teeth breaking after a battle.
Mass activities
Narwhals enter the breeding phase in April of each year, when they choose a place where no one is disturbed to breed, and after successful pairing, they stay near the fjord to wait for the arrival of the production day. The following month, August, is the period of narwhal production, and after narwhals take two years to recover before they can reproduce again. Narwhals are also the best divers, able to dive deeper into the waters to hunt, and generally feed on squid, shrimp and cod.
Diver
Many people think that narwhals will use their teeth to pierce their prey when they hunt prey, but in fact, they do not use their teeth on the way to hunting, but directly open their mouths, through the speed of swimming, let the prey enter the mouth, and finally be swallowed.
What's special about narwhal teeth?
Another peculiarity of narwhals is that only male narwhals grow long, pointed teeth, while females have short, thick teeth. As mentioned above, the teeth of the narwhal are not the same as those of other mammals, and the pulp is like a layer of hard material, which gives the narwhal's teeth more elasticity. The tusks that are exposed outside can resist the water pressure brought by diving and can also perceive the surrounding environment.
Narwhals' habitat and dietary habits
Human dental cells grow to produce substances that connect millions of tiny nerves, including the central nervous system of the tooth and the outer layer of the tooth. If once the protection of tooth enamel is lost, then people will have uncomfortable feelings when they eat hot and cold sweet and sour food. And once the protective barrier is gone, the moth will also occupy the teeth, and the tooth decay will bring people unbearable pain.
tooth decay
Scientists have also observed the tooth structure of narwhals through microscopes and found that the teeth of narwhals do not have these conditions, and their teeth are still directly exposed to the environment, and they can also perceive the impact of the living environment. Narwhals also have a cell membrane on their teeth that allows them to sense changes in the salinity of the seawater.
A pair of narwhals
Scientists have done experiments to expose the teeth of narwhals to containers containing salt water, and when exposed to different concentrations of salt water, narwhals have different brain activity.
Why are its teeth more expensive than gold?
In ancient times, some European countries attached great importance to the tusks of narwhals, many royalty and nobles regarded tusks as treasures, and even made the tusks of narwhals into wine glasses to detect whether there was poison in the wine, and even some people regarded the tusks of narwhals as a panacea, which had the effect of curing all diseases. The teeth of the narwhal have also become a symbol of power, and Queen Elizabeth once auctioned a narwhal tooth at a high price, which further highlighted the preciousness of the narwhal teeth, and the natural price sold was also in gold. Indigenous people living in the Arctic will make the teeth of narwhals into spearheads for forkfish, making it easy to catch creatures in the water.
Narwhal teeth
However, from a practical point of view, the greatest value of the narwhal is not its teeth but its flesh. Under its skin there is a thick layer of fat, which can be extracted from a large amount of whale oil, which can be used for food or heating; and its skin is also rich in vitamin C, which is an indispensable vitamin for the human body.
Whale oil
The indigenous people living in the Arctic, due to the living environment, are not easy to grow fruits and vegetables, so they will eat the skin and flesh of narwhals to replenish the energy needed by the body.
summary
To this day, there are many opinions about the role of narwhal teeth, and to this day people still try to follow up and investigate, to further understand the secrets of narwhal teeth. When its true face has not yet appeared in front of human beings, the mysterious legend related to its teeth will always be a mystery.