10-22-2021, 02:29 PM
In the elephant population in Mozambique there is a mutation that leads to tuskless elephants. It was not a common mutation. However poaching killed many elephants with tusks. This left the tuskless females to breed and the frequency of tusklessness increased. Now there are many tuskless elephants.
The only down side is the cause of tusklessness. It is a genetic mutation that prevents tusks forming in female offspring and causes make offspring to die before birth. So the herd is safer from poachers, but it has a shortage of males.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/...ants-study
This is a good thing if it protects the elephants from poachers. I am sure they could bring in male elephants from somewhere else. It could potentially wipe out the species if it spread and no males survived. The whole situation needs to be watched carefully.
The only down side is the cause of tusklessness. It is a genetic mutation that prevents tusks forming in female offspring and causes make offspring to die before birth. So the herd is safer from poachers, but it has a shortage of males.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/...ants-study
This is a good thing if it protects the elephants from poachers. I am sure they could bring in male elephants from somewhere else. It could potentially wipe out the species if it spread and no males survived. The whole situation needs to be watched carefully.
Catherine