Friday, October 22, 2021

Elephants have evolved to be tuskless because of ivory poaching, a study finds

This undated photo provided by ElephantVoices in October 2021 shows some of the tuskless elephants in the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. A hefty set of tusks is usually an advantage for elephants, allowing them to dig for water, strip bark for food and joust with other elephants. But during episodes of intense ivory poaching, those big incisors become a liability.

Researchers have pinpointed how years of civil war and poaching in Mozambique have led to a greater proportion of elephants that will never develop tusks.

(Image credit: ElephantVoices via AP)

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