Effect of cracks on elephant skin

When looking at the skin, elephants can see a small network of crevices. These small cracks make water and mud easily stored in the skin, helping the elephant adjust its body temperature.

In a new article published in Nature Communications, scientists claim that these cracks are the outer bones of animals .

Researchers at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, conducted a detailed analysis of the elephant's skin structure. The results show that the outer skin of elephant skin develops in a way that promotes small cracks due to mechanical pressure.

Elephants do not have sweat glands, so the formation of cracks is very helpful.

Elephants do not have sweat glands. As a result, the outer layer of dead skin cells becomes dry and brittle. Therefore, it is useful to have the cracks formed.

When the sweat exuded, it helped cool the body. To create this process, elephants regularly bathe and mud bath, to cover their bodies in a moist layer. Small cracks make this process easy.

Scientists have identified a complex crevice network that prevents sludge from leaving the skin, which can help elephants hold water 10 times more than a smooth surface.

A large concentration of keratin, a strong, irritating protein, on the outer layer of the elephant skin promotes cracking. The structure of the outer skin in the form of a network of cracked layers stacked on top of each other, adding to their effectiveness.

Researchers compared skin cracking in elephants with human skin when affected by ichthyosis vulgaris , a genetic disorder that disrupts the ability to shed natural dead skin cells. People affected by ichthyosis vulgaris often experience dry, scaly skin.

Further research is needed to determine whether the same biological mechanism is involved.

Researcher Michel Milinkovitch said: 'This correspondence will also prove that similar mutations occur independently in human evolution. And the more elephants get back, the better adapted to the environment. "