Tusk-less Elephants evolve to avoid poaching

Elephants are loosing their tusks as a rapid and effective evolutionary response to escape slaughter by ruthless and resourceful poachers.

This adaptation has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of tusk-less males in Asia, most notably 90% of Wild Sri Lankan males now do not have tusks.







Although this is a very clever example of evolution, with the genetic mutation preventing the elephants from being killed for their ivory, the tusk less elephants are paying a heavy price for their survival. Elephants use their tusks to dig for food and water, to pick up and move trees and branches, for self defence and for sexual display.