Title: BBC - Earth - The tusks of narwhals are actually teeth that are inside-out
Headings: The tusks of narwhals are actually teeth that are inside-out
The tusks of narwhals are actually teeth that are inside-out
Content: "A lot of people really don't believe they are still alive," says Martin Nweeia of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US. Adults are apparently more prone to this misperception. " Oddly enough, kids are little more savvy these days about narwhals." Nweeia, a dentist, became obsessed with narwhal teeth over a decade ago and has since made it his mission to figure out what the tusk does. View image of Female narwhals normally do not have tusks (Credit: Doug Allan/NPL)
The narwhal's tusk was once passed off for exorbitant sums as unicorn horn. It is a mainly male feature, but occasionally female narwhals have one. There are also a few "double tuskers": males that have two tusks rather than one, for unknown reasons. A lot of people think this whale has teeth in its mouth, and it has none
Perhaps the most pervasive myth about the tusk is that narwhals use it to spear food.