Narwhal Tusks Hide Surprising Chemistry Beyond Their Iconic Spiral

In the Arctic waters where myth and biology have long intertwined, the narwhal's spiraled tusk has revealed itself to be more than an icon of strangeness — it is a record of evolutionary ingenuity written in chemistry. Researchers have uncovered unexpected molecular complexities within the tusk's structure, overturning years of assumptions about its composition and function. The discovery invites us to consider how life, pressed against the limits of a polar world, engineers solutions at scales invisible to the eye.