🐘 An elephant's 22-month gestation, the longest for any mammal, results in incredibly advanced newborns. Calves are born precocial: highly mobile and able to walk within hours, a vital adaptation for a species that must constantly travel.⁠ ⁠ A calf's brain is remarkably developed at birth, weighing 30-35% of its adult size. However, it is not fully formed; crucial neural development and learning happen after birth, shaping the social memory vital for survival. This learning is key, as calves are born with very poor eyesight. They compensate by relying on their superior senses of smell and touch, both of which are navigated by the trunk.⁠ ⁠ Initially, a newborn lacks motor control over its 40,000 muscle fibers, often tripping on them or sucking its toes to build coordination. Guidance comes not just from the mother but from the entire herd through allomothering, or cooperative child-rearing by aunts and sisters. This social learning is paramount, teaching the calf essential survival sk...