Selection for Tuskless Elephants | HHMI BioInteractive Video

Working in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, Dr. Joyce Poole and colleagues make a striking observation: many female elephants lack tusks.


Most African elephants have tusks, but some–about 2 to 6% of females and even fewer males—never grow them. Elephant tusks are important for obtaining food and water, and essential to male elephants for competing for mates, so there is a strong natural selection for having tusks. But the proportion of tuskless elephants has increased in some populations. In this video Dr. Joyce Poole explains a possible reason. Elephants with large tusks are targeted by poachers who sell the tusks on the ivory market. Poaching is artificially selecting for tuskless elephants who can better survive, mate, and pass on their genes to the next generation. In Gorongosa National Park, Poole found that among the older female elephants, who survived a period of heavy poaching in the park, over 50% are tuskless. Among the younger females, who were born after this period of heavy poaching, 33% are tuskless.

[mickyw]

We are all here because of bio classes but I won't lie when I say this video is interesting as hell

[rebeccadworkin]

Doing a bio report on natural selection of elephant tusks, this was extremely helpful, thank you!

[mariaajanax]

Is anyone here doing a bio assignment during the quarantine 💀

[tracyuwagboe]

if you’re seeing this i lived through a global pandemic and had to do online schooling and it was one of the most challenging times in my life my bio teacher assigned me this... but ive made it and now I’m successful.

[fanta]

Here's a tip to the students in the comment section! If you open the transcript (the 3 dots right next to "save") and then do central + f, you can search up a key word from the question and the word will get highlighted in the transcript! :) But seriously, start paying attention XD

[SuperAlly]

is anyone else here because of a bio assignment?

[billnyehatesscience]

rumor has it 4 years later comments are still hearted

[nicholasgrijalva]

Doing a "project" with this video involved. I would say "thank you" for all the excellent information, but now I have to fill out a set of short-response questions based on this, so no thanks.

[aquila]

0:23 oh that's nice-
0:33 *Apex Legends flashbacks*

[DepthUnchecked]

Those occasional music queues have me on edge...

[brennenwiest]

69th comment


















Ms. Coleman's science class was here

[lethallegdend]

Doing a biology assignment on this. Very helpful resorce.

[Mr_HD]

Bro it’s 2023 and I’m using this cause my teacher put a url on a sheet of paper

[TheGardenSystem]

And we have entered panick mode assiment is due in two hours and I havent started wlep send help

[rockriley]

Anyone have the answers for questions 1- all of them😂 lmao imagine we are all doing the same assignment

[toothpick]

4:45 "Surveys conducted by pool and colleagues, indicated the 33% of females 10-20 years old were tuskless."
















ℕ𝕆 𝕋𝕌𝕊𝕂𝕃𝔼𝕊𝕊 𝕄𝔸𝕃𝔼𝕊 ℍ𝔸𝕍𝔼 𝔹𝔼𝔼ℕ 𝔽𝕆𝕌ℕ𝔻.

[jaydenvargas]

anyone else here from Ms. Smith, Ms. Garcia, or Mr. Katz's class? Fellow dolphins rise up.

[nigellawson]

Unfortunately, the series of genes that code for tuskless female elephants are deadly in males. This phenomena could in the medium to long term have deleterious effects on elephant populations because it will lead to fewer males. A lack of tusks will also have a negative effect on their diet. The range of food that these animals will be able to consume will be narrowed considerably. So a trait that may be advantageous in the short run could hasten the extinction of these elephant populations

[august_]

Bro Stodelle's class how we holdin up

[keithwhite]

Say No to illegal poaching for rhinos horns and elephants ivory and animals fur and help protect and give charities the help they need to catch this cruelties that’s happening in are world please donate to your nearest charities you be making a huge difference to rhinos and the elephants that are such beautiful creatures ....