Ivory hunting has led elephants to evolve without tusks
Recommended for Middle Grades
Ivory hunting is a big danger that elephants face. Their ivory tusks (teeth) is considered to be precious. So, even though it is against the law, people hunt elephants for their ivory.
However, some elephants are evolving to be tuskless. This is due to a genetic condition (passed down from parent to child).
A new study says that severe ivory poaching (hunting) in parts of Mozambique, Africa has led to the evolution of tuskless elephants. While the genetic condition existed before, it was very rare. However, as ivory hunting increased, the condition has become more common.
Ivory hunting in Mozambique
Mozambique experienced a civil war among its people from 1977 to 1992. During this time, almost all of Mozambique’s elephants were hunted for their tusks, leaving behind mostly the tuskless ones.
So, being tuskless saved the elephants from hunters. However, only female elephants seemed to be tuskless. It turns out that the genetic condition was fatal (dangerous) to males. Male elephants with the condition died before being born.
Now, the genetic condition has become more common and leading to the birth of fewer elephants in Mozambique. Moreover, the study has revealed that tusked and tuskless elephants eat different plants.
Thankfully, experts believe that the condition is reversible over time.
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