Publications by authors named "Olivia Heise"
Elephants are the largest terrestrial animals, but our knowledge of their brains is limited. We studied brain size, proportions, and development in Asian () and African savanna () elephants. Specifically, we weighed, photographed, and analyzed postmortem magnetic resonance scans of elephant brains in addition to collecting elephant brain data from the literature.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe anatomy and function of tactile structures, such as vibrissae, are typically studied in captive animals, but we know little about how tactile structures compare between captive and wild animals. We analyzed trunk tip morphology in wild (n = 6) and captive (n = 6) adult African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana). We found striking differences in both vibrissae and skin structure between the two groups.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMacrovibrissae and microvibrissae inversion and lateralization in elephants.
Ann N Y Acad Sci
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- Elephants display unique lateralization in their trunk behaviors, which is influenced by the organization of their mouth and facial structures.
- The study reveals that elephants have a narrow lower jaw that is elongated, with their lip vibrissae becoming progressively longer and asymmetrically worn due to feeding behaviors.
- Unlike ancestral mammals, elephants have undergone significant anatomical changes, such as upper lip fusion with the trunk and a shift towards lateral microvibrissae, adapting their feeding methods from traditional oral apprehension to trunk-based feeding.