RE: When narwhals (Monodon monoceros) rub their tusks together, it is believed to be to share information about the water, not as a sign of aggressive rivalry
Hehe, it's pretty funny that you didn't know they were for real :) I guess they are sort of like a mythical animal though, so it makes sense.
Anyway, that's an interesting theory. It would be very interesting to see if anyone is able to successfully determine which factors that lead to the formation of the horns in the females. While it does make sense that it could be linked to epigenetics and group dynamics, it's a bit of a stretch (in my opinion) to assume this. You might of course be right, but there are also a lot of other possible explanations for why only some of the females grow horns.
Thanks for sharing your hypothesis with the rest of us! I'm hoping we get some more narwhal research in the future to shed more light on all the questions we have about them.
You know what.. I wanted to add something more about this, but I still can't find the video/ article I found it on from a while back... But, anyways, When I first got chicken, I was wondering about how long it took before they started laying eggs, so I was watching and reading a lot of things on the matter. One video I came across was very interesting. It was a hen that had stopped laying eggs and the owners felt it as due to the hen getting too old, however, the twist was that it actually had nothing to do with the age, it was the result of not having any roosters around. I wish I could find something on it or remember the key words, but I remember that it is a trait that a hen can pick up for the sake of playing the role of the rooster; becoming the team defense and coordinator. What I found fascinating, is that it wasn't just behavioral, it was actually changing the hen's hormones. Now I've got to do some extensive research on epi-genetics and gender changing qualities. I have a feeling that I'm just a little shy of having all of the facts, but just a hair more research could clear the foggy water.
lol, sorry I couldn't have provided a more convincing argument. I'll have to go back and hit the books and try again later!