New study from Rob Pringle on tuskless elephant evolution
A new study suggests that severe ivory poaching in parts of Mozambique has led to the evolution of tuskless elephants.
Professor Robert Pringle of Princeton University, pointed out that the discovery could have a number of long-term effects for the species. He noted that because the tuskless trait was fatal to male offspring, it was possible that fewer elephants would be born overall. This could slow the recovery of the species, which now stands at just over 700 in the park.
"Tusklessness might be advantageous during a war," Professor Pringle said. "But that comes at a cost."
Another potential knock-on is changes to the broader landscape, as the study has revealed that tusked and tuskless animals eat different plants. But Professor Pringle emphasized that the trait was reversible over time as populations recovered from the brink of elimination.
“So we actually expect that this syndrome will decrease in frequency in our study population, provided that the conservation picture continues to stay as positive as it has been recently.”
