Wrinkles reveal whether elephants are left- or right-trunked, study finds | Humboldt University of Berlin research also shows Asian elephants have more wrinkles than African cousins

From the article: While humans are split between right-handers and left-handers, elephants have a preference for which side of their trunk they use. Now scientists [have discovered](https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.240851) it is possible to determine an elephant’s “trunkedness” by looking at its wrinkles.

While, overall, the pachyderms show an almost 50:50 split in terms of which way they prefer to bend their trunks, scientists have found it is possible to determine an individual adult’s preference.

The team say a left-trunker – which scoops objects towards the left side of its body – has more wrinkles and longer whiskers on the left side of its trunk, with whiskers on the right worn down by more frequent contact with the ground.

“The whisker length difference is big and prominent,” said Dr Michael Brecht, co-author of the study from Humboldt University of Berlin. “The wrinkle effect is more subtle, but still significant. It indicates that wrinkle patterns are at least partially use-dependent.”

The discovery is one of a number of revelations around trunk wrinkles made by the team.

That is the cutest freaking thing ever.