Male Narwhal or Unicorn (Monodon monoceros) and Greenland Shark (Somniosus microcephalus), by W. Scoresby. 1820. So much is unknown about the Narwhal. Even the name is a puzzle. From the Oxford English Dictionary (paywalled), WC’s go-to reference for word etymologies: The etymology is uncertain, but likely comes from variants of Danish narhval (cognate with Norwegian narkval , […]

The Proof Is in the Tusk — Wickersham’s Conscience