Why to a walrus canines

Why to a walrus canines

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The long and powerful canines growing from the upper jaw are the business card of a walrus. At males they can reach up to 1 meter in length, females – have less and more thinly. There is a set of the versions explaining why to a walrus canines, but not all of them are reliable.

The North American Indians living on - to the neighbourhood with colonies of walruses, called these animals "going on teeth". Indians considered that long canines walruses, clumsy on the land, cling to the earth, moving on a surface. Was considered that canines are also necessary to walruses to climb on ice floes, resting their tips against the ice region. But, if to follow this logic, it turns out that morzhata and females at whom canines are very small should sit constantly in water – to be hooked and rest it there is nothing.

However it absolutely not so – both females, and the morzhat perfectly move on soil, helping themselves front and back flippers. For the same reason one more version that canines walruses dig the earth and a seabed in search of livelihood does not maintain criticism, both females, and the morzhat do not starve and without canines. Modern researchers who closely watch life of walruses under natural conditions make sure more and more that these terrible tusks – only a frightening accessory confirming the status of a male. They can be the terrible weapon protecting from the natural enemy – a polar bear and to serve for a showdown with rivals in fight for attention of females. Sometimes canines use also for hunting for seals, but for this purpose the walrus should try very much to approach the stood gaping production. The fact that canines only the weapon helping to win bigger quantity of females indirectly confirms also the fact that for several decades of observations the average length of canines of walruses in one population all the time increases. Following the theory of natural selection, it is possible to draw a conclusion that long and terrible canines help to approve the superiority to a male. Scientists found direct dependence between length of canines of a male and quantity of females in its harem. Naturally, as posterity at those who can brag of long and sharp canines, more numerous.

Author: «MirrorInfo» Dream Team

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