Ivory poaching causes ‘rapid evolution’ of tuskless elephants: Study

By Elizabeth Faddis

Published October 24, 2021 11:00am ET

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Ivory poaching causes ‘rapid evolution’ of tuskless elephants: Study — This undated photo provided by ElephantVoices in October 2021 shows tuskless elephant matriarch with her two calves 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. (ElephantVoices via AP) | (ElephantVoices via AP)

Ivory poaching by hunters has led to the “rapid evolution” in tuskless elephants, according to new data released Thursday.

Researchers found that the number of tuskless female elephants in Mozambique‘s Gorongosa National Park increased nearly threefold, from 53 to 108, following the Mozambican Civil War between 1977 and 1992. During that war, tusked animals often fell victim to ivory poaching, according to the study published in Science.

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Africa Animals Evolution Hunting