Elephants' Seismic Sense: Navigating Earth Through Tremors

Recent research from the ElephantVoices project has revealed that African elephants possess an extraordinary seismic communication system. These animals can perceive, interpret, and respond to ground vibrations traveling over 20 kilometers through specialized mechanoreceptors called Pacinian corpuscles in their feet and trunks. This "sixth sense" allows elephants to process four types of seismic information: natural geological events (like distant water sources), human-generated vibrations, predator movements, and communications from other elephants. Their sensitivity exceeds current technology, detecting displacements smaller than a nanometer. This discovery has inspired innovations in earthquake detection systems and provided new insights into dinosaur behavior. Conservation applications include "seismic fences" that reduce human-elephant conflicts by 87% in pilot areas. The research challenges our human-centered understanding of sensory perception and highlights how climate change may disrupt these vital communication networks.

https://www.ihadnoclue.com/article/1108582687909117953