Female African elephants are evolving without tusks due to ivory poaching

Post by gowld » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 6:49 PM UTC

csours wrote: post #40

jsnell wrote: post #12

In case anyone is wondering about the size of the effect, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/wildlife-... has the numbers. Before the war, 2-4% of female elephants were tuskless. Now 32% of newly born ones are. So it's a significant change, but it's not like this property was coming out of nowhere. It started off about as common as humans having green eyes.

Evolution is an umbrella term, but in the most general form, evolution means a change in genetics in a population over time. So yes, the genetic 'option' was there before, but it is advantageous now.

Post by woodruffw » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 6:49 PM UTC

AtNightWeCode wrote: post #63

Evolution is in general very slow when it comes to animals. I have my doubts if poaching is the true cause or if there is some environmental reason.

Post by geoffmanning » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 6:52 PM UTC

vmception wrote: post #61

geoffmanning wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not quite sure what you're getting at. The definitions of those words can't simply be categorized as good or bad. Beautiful and lucky do, however, somewhat infer a positive outcome in the context they were used. Incredible infers neither positive nor negative. It means that it's simply extraordinary that such a thing could occur, outside the bounds of previous beliefs.

I personally find the natural selection process to be beautiful to witness, the adaptive pressures to be incredible, and the cause to be tragic Not mutually exclusive

Post by rustyminnow » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 6:53 PM UTC

VeninVidiaVicii wrote: post #54

csours wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Evolution is an umbrella term, but in the most general form, evolution means a change in genetics in a population over time. So yes, the genetic 'option' was there before, but it is advantageous now.

And this is why genetic diversity is a good thing.

Post by gowld » Wed, Oct 27, 2021, 6:55 PM UTC

eberkund wrote: post #45

tombert wrote: post #8

Honest question from someone who knows virtually nothing about chemistry or material science: is there a difference in quality between synthetic and natural ivory? If not, why is poaching even still a viable market?

I imagine people view it similarly to leathers made from animal hides to synthetic materials. Synthetics may be better in some ways but people are in-part attracted by the character or feel that the imperfections of a natural material provide.