Title: Narwhal Tusk Research -- About the Tusk
Headings: About the Tusk

Content: Narwhal Tusk Research -- About the Tusk
About the Tusk
The narwhal, Monodon monoceros, has long fascinated sea explorers, scientists and aristocracy. This arctic whale is characterized by a single spiraled tusk extending six to nine feet, emerging from the upper jaw and through the lips of adult males. Males have the characteristic left front tooth extending approximately 8 feet and variable depending on the whale and the age. The right tooth remains embedded in the skull and measures roughly one foot. Some females may exhibit a tusk, and in rare instances a male with two tusks has been observed. Fetal narwhal initially develop six pairs of maxillary or upper teeth and two pairs of mandibular or lower teeth. Only one pair from the maxillary jaw develop and the others are vestigial. Tusk length, girth, morphology, wear and coloration are all quite variable. Male tusks are usually longer and have a wide variation in ridge morphology, often appearing as a gently wavelike form when looking down the horizontal axis. Female tusks are shorter, straighter, have a more regularly defined morphology, and do not collect as much proteinacious or algae on the surface, thus appearing whiter.