The narwhals’ giant unicorn horn might help them find mates
A big tusk could possibly scare off other males, and show the ladies you're a catch. (Carsten Egevang, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources/)When you’re in the dating game, sometimes you develop a type. Maybe it’s someone tall, or funny, or with a particular hair color. Perhaps you’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for animal lovers, musicians, or dorky types. But humans aren’t the only ones who find certain characteristics attractive. According to a new study in Biology Letters, narwhal ladies have a type too—and it’s all about the tusk. The study’s authors hypothesize that males having a disproportionately giant tooth, which kind of looks like a unicorn horn, signals to females that they would be an excellent choice for a partner. It also tells other males that they are a big tough guy.The study authors collected information from 245 adult male narwhal skeletons from across the world,...