Elephants are known for their impressive ears, tusks and trunks. For instance, they cool down by pumping hot blood through their large ears, which they then flap to dissipate the heat. As for their trunks, Asian elephants have one "finger" at the end of their trunk, while African elephants have two "fingers," which they can pinch together to grab small items, like fruit.
Ross MacPhee, the curator emeritus of American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City, has spent his life studying these majestic pachyderms and megafauna like them. With the Nov. 13 opening of "The Secret Lives of Elephants" exhibit at the AMNH, Live Science sat down with MacPhee to learn why the mammals' tusks are such a treasure trove of information, how their trunks are like noses and hands in one, and how male teen elephants are a lot like human ones.
