Sensorized objects used to quantitatively study distal grasping in the African elephant

Lo Preti, Matteo; Beccai, Lucia

doi:10.1016/j.isci.2023.107657

Cited by 1 publication

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References 55 publications

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“…These abilities are the result of a high sensitivity through unique sensory innervation and whiskers, especially at the trunk tip (Deiringer et al, 2023;Purkart et al, 2022;Rasmussen & Munger, 1996), as well as numerous muscles, tendons and wrinkles (Kaufmann et al, 2022;Longren et al, 2023;Schulz, Reveyaz, et al, 2023). This highly sensitive multitasking organ is involved in a wide repertoire of behaviour such as feeding, watering, environmental exploration, vocalisation, social behaviour, tool making and tool use (Fowler & Mikota, 2008;Haakonsson & Semple, 2009;Hart et al, 2001;Lo Preti & Beccai, 2023;Rasmussen & Munger, 1996;Shoshani, 1998;Yang et al, 2006). Several studies on captive elephants have demonstrated that grasping techniques during feeding are related to the quantity of the item grasped and its properties, such as structure and size (Dagenais et al, 2021;Lefeuvre et al, 2020;Racine, 1980;Schulz et al, 2021Schulz et al, , 2022Soppelsa et al, 2022;Wu et al, 2018).…”

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confidence: 99%

Effect of the habitat and tusks on trunk grasping techniques in African savannah elephants

Costes,

Soppelsa,

Houssin

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Among tetrapods, grasping is an essential function involved in many vital behaviours. The selective pressures that led to this function were widely investigated in species with prehensile hands and feet. Previous studies namely highlighted a strong effect of item properties but also of the species habitat on manual grasping behaviour. African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) are known to display various prehensile abilities and use their trunk in a large diversity of habitats. Composed of muscles and without a rigid structure, the trunk is a muscular hydrostat with great freedom of movement. This multitasking organ is particularly recruited for grasping food items while foraging. Yet, the diet of African savannah elephants varies widely between groups living in different habitats. Moreover, they have tusks alongside the trunk which can assist in grasping behaviours, and their tusk morphologies are known to vary considerably between groups. Therefore, in this study, we investigate the food grasping techniques used by the trunk of two elephant groups that live in different habitats: an arid study site in Etosha National Park in Namibia, and an area with consistent water presence in Kruger National Park in South Africa. We characterised the tusks profiles and compared the grasping techniques and their frequencies of use for different foods. Our results show differences in food‐grasping techniques between the two groups. These differences are related to the food item property and tusk profile discrepancies highlighted between the two groups. We suggest that habitat heterogeneity, particularly aridity gaps, may induce these differences. This may reveal an optimisation of grasping types depending on habitat, food size and accessibility, as well as tusk profiles.

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