The number of toothless elephants is on the rise...?

S Venkateshwari

Only a few elephants in Mozambique's Gorangosa National Park were born without tusks. However, the number is currently steadily rising.


Elephants were hunted for tusks to raise money for the Civil War, according to a recent study published in the journal Science. Before the Civil War, 18.5 per cent of female elephants lacked tusks in this area.


Government forces and anti-communist forces clashed in large numbers. These two forces were in the business of selling ivory for a profit. As a result, Mozambique's elephant population has plummeted by 90%. 


During the Civil War, tusked elephants were abandoned. It's possible that this elephant, along with others, may give birth to toothless elephant cubs.


In addition to the genes now in use, the researchers looked at the genes of tusked elephants. A mutation in the X chromosome has been related to this trait (absence of teeth), which is more common in female elephants.


This chromosome has been discovered to be lethal to male elephant babies in pregnancy. One of the researchers, Princeton university professor Robert Pringle, warned that such a mutation could have long-term negative consequences for these animals.


The absence of teeth is linked to chromosomes... The overall number of young elephants born falls as the male elephant turns cancerous. This makes it impossible for these elephants to reclaim their former population.


He claims there are barely 700 elephants left. During the Civil War, a lack of teeth can cause bedwetting. A recent study, on the other hand, discovered that tusked elephants ate differently than non-tusked elephants. However, Pringle believes that in the long run, the number of tusked elephants will increase.

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