What is ivory and why does it belong on elephants?

We’ve all seen photographs of majestic elephants sporting long, off-white tusks on either side of their trunks. This ivory is both beautiful on the animals and essential to the species’ survival. But what exactly is it?

Ivory tusks are actually massive teeth that protrude well beyond the mouths of elephants. Like our own teeth—and those of many mammals—these tusks are deeply rooted. Much of the tusk is made up of dentine, a hard, dense, bony tissue. And the whole tusk is wrapped in enamel, the hardest animal tissue and the part of the tusk that manages the most wear and tear.

http://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-ivory-and-why-does-it-belong-on-elephants?link=txt1&utm_campaign=wildlife-crime&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cons-update&utm_content=160602-ed