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Tusks are generally curved and have a smooth, continuous surface. The male narwhal's straight single helical tusk, which usually grows out from the left of the mouth, is an exception to the typical features of tusks described above. Continuous growth of tusks is enabled by formative tissues in the apical openings of the roots of the teeth. [2] [3]
Horns are projections from the top of the head. True horns are found mainly among: Ruminant artiodactyls. Antilocapridae (); Bovidae (cattle, goats, antelopes etc.).; Giraffidae: Giraffids have a pair of skin covered bony bumps on their heads, called ossicones.
Surrounding the tusks is a broad mat of stiff bristles ("mystacial vibrissae"), giving the walrus a characteristic whiskered appearance. There can be 400 to 700 vibrissae in 13 to 15 rows reaching 30 cm (12 in) in length, though in the wild they are often worn to much shorter lengths due to constant use in foraging. [ 32 ]
These cracks can be seen throughout the length of the tusk. Whole cross-sections of walrus tusks are generally oval with widely spaced indentations. The dentine is composed of two types: primary dentine and secondary (often called osteodentine). Primary dentine has a classical ivory appearance. Secondary dentine is marble or oatmeal-like.
The tusk Templeton found is so large because it came from a Columbian mammoth, an animal that could grow up to 15 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh in excess of 10 tons.
Walrus tusks, for example, may have been acquired in trade from indigenous walrus hunters. Scrimshaw was a leisure activity for creative whalers. Life aboard a whaling ship often included long stretches of time between whale sightings, which gave those onboard a great deal of free time for creative pursuits.
Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same, regardless of the species of origin, but ivory contains structures of mineralised collagen ...
The tusks, particularly the upper set, work in much the same way as elephant tusks with all designs scaled down. Tusks are carved predominantly for the tourist trade in eastern and southern Africa. [citation needed] The head of the common warthog is large, with a mane down the spine to the middle of the back. [4] Sparse hair covers the body.