{
  "abstract": "Supernumerary teeth are well recognised in humans and domestic animals but are rarely reported in elephants. This case series describes four African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) with multiple tusk structures occupying a single alveolus. A 7-year-old bull presented with a deformed left tusk and behavioural changes. Clinical examination revealed two coronal openings, followed by eruption of three accessory tusks. Conservative intracavitary treatment and selective surgical removal of the accessory tusks preserved the primary tusk, which maintained normal eruption and function at 36-month follow-up. Additional cases comprised a bull that developed three tusks after traumatic fracture and removal of the fractured tusk remnant, an adult female with two tusks in one alveolus, and a dry specimen composed of five tusks, each with a distinct pulp canal. The continued eruption, organised morphology, separate pulp canals, and surgical separability of these structures support their diagnosis as supernumerary tusks. The developmental mechanism remains uncertain, but lifelong odontogenic activity in elephant tusks may permit formation of independent dentine-producing structures, and trauma may contribute in some cases. Selective removal of accessory tusks while preserving the primary tusk can provide a favourable long-term outcome.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Vantara, Jamnagar 361142, Gujarat, India.",
    "Department of Companion Animal Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Private Bag X04, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa.",
    "Lancet Laboratories, Pencardia Building, 509 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria 0083, South Africa."
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Gerhard Steenkamp",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8428-7309"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sonja Catharina Boy"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e4myfphqctmjx.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/ani16192972",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13663460",
  "id": "e4myfphqctmjx",
  "issns": [
    "2076-2615"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882941",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1312|dental development and anomalies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213966200",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13663460?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13663460",
  "pmid": "42882941",
  "published": "2026-09-22",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e4myfphqctmjx.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:16Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42882941",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882941"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biochemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1312|dental development and anomalies",
      "subfield": "molecular-biology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Supernumerary Tusks in African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana): A Case Series and Consideration of Developmental Mechanisms.",
  "title_text": "Supernumerary Tusks in African Savanna Elephants (Loxodonta africana): A Case Series and Consideration of Developmental Mechanisms.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:16Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/e4myfphqctmjx",
  "venue": "Animals : an open access journal from MDPI",
  "versions": []
}