A new study reveals that Asian elephants possess significantly larger brains than their African counterparts. Researchers from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW), along with international colleagues, made this discovery. The study also found that elephant brains triple in weight after birth, offering insights into behavioral differences and the extended youth of these animals.
The international research team analyzed the brains of Asian (Elephas maximus) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana) through dissections, literature data, and MRI scans. This comprehensive approach allowed them to uncover key differences in brain size and structure between the two species.
Key findings include:
Adult female Asian elephants have an average brain weight of 5,300 grams, while African elephants average just over 4,400 grams.
Elephant brains exhibit substantial postnatal growth, tripling in weight from birth to adulthood.
The cerebellum is proportionally larger in African elephants, comprising 22% of total brain weight compared to 19% in Asian elephants.
Malav Shah from the BCCN suggests that the difference in brain weight could explain behavioral variations between the two species. Asian elephants have a history of partial domestication and are often used as work animals. African elephants are more challenging to habituate to human company.
Michael Brecht and Thomas Hildebrandt propose that social factors and learning processes contribute to the significant brain growth after birth. Elephants live in complex social structures and rely on the experience and knowledge of older individuals, especially matriarchs.
The larger cerebellum in African elephants may be linked to their more complex trunk motor functions. African elephants possess two trunk fingers, enabling a wider range of movements compared to Asian elephants.