Research shows elephants could recognise their family by the smell of their poo!
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Reckon you could recognise a member of your family from just the smell of their poo?
Well new research suggests African elephants can!
Elephants are famous for their amazing memories, and researchers say this study shows that they can remember the smell of a relative even after being apart for more than a decade.
But how do you even test this and does everyone agree with the findings? Let's take a look.
Two elephant mother and daughter pairs were due to be reunited at zoos in Germany - one pair hadn't seen each other for 2 years, and the other for 12.
The researchers collected samples of poo from each of the elephants, which they then had to drive to and from all the zoos involved (stinky!).
Before the reunion, each elephant was presented with lots of different piles of poo.
When they came across the dung from elephants at the same zoo, other unrelated elephants or even poo from other animals entirely, they had a sniff and walked away.
But when they caught a whiff of the poo from their family member, they made rumbling sounds and flapped their ears and continued to have a good sniff!
But not everyone agrees that this experiment proves elephants remember the smell of their relative.
Firstly, an experiment like this would have to be tested on more elephant pairs because it has only been tested on four so far.
Secondly, some scientists say there might be something in the scent of the poo that can trigger some recognition without it being linked to memory.
Either way, we think it's a pretty bizarre way to respond to your family's poo.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!
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