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Why do Indian elephants have smaller ears?

Question

Why do Indian elephants have small ears and African elephants have big ears?
Jay, Windsor

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Tony, Windsor
Qualification: Big Darwin fan and went to the Natural History Museum last week
Answer: African elephants have got big ears for heat dissipation. Their skin is so thick, they can’t lose heat, so they pump blood to their ears and dissipate the heat in that way. It’s cooler and more humid in India, so they don’t need that function there. It’s evolutionary.

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