Ivory poaching has led to a 'rapid evolution' of tuskless African elephants, as elephants without tusks were far more likely to survive during the height of the ivory trade, according to new research.
The elephant population in the region declined more than 90% due to the war, and the mass hunting of the mammals for their tusks resulted in a phenotype of the species that had a better chance of survival -- specifically, female elephants.
Campbell-Staton began hearing about the rise of"tusklessness" elephants years ago when he was in graduate school, but the research to find an explanation for the phenomenon had not yet occurred, he said."In regions where there's intensive poaching, there seem to be more animals without tusks," he said."But we had no idea what was going on, why it happened ... the degree with which it happened.
"The selective killing of species – whether for food, safety, or profit – has only become more common and intense as human populations and technology have grown," the authors wrote."So much so, it's suggested that wildlife exploitation by humans has become a powerful selective driver in the evolution of targeted species.