List an elephant’s most iconic characteristics and tusks should be right behind the long trunk, and arguably ahead of big ears and thick skin.
Tusks are elongated teeth that grow continuously and are used to dig for food and nutrients, clear paths through vegetation, mark or remove tree bark, and for fighting between males. The tusk can serve those diverse purposes thanks to the properties of its main material, ivory, which makes it strong and tough.
Ivory’s impressive properties make it attractive to humans. Traditionally used to make art and ornaments of cultural value, ivory has become a valuable status symbol. But as studies have shown, demand for ivory has helped to fuel a multibillion-dollar wildlife trade that encourages illegal hunting. And now new research has found that this may also have left an evolutionary mark on elephants.
A study by biologists at Princeton University looked at African savannah elephants in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. During a civil war that lasted from 1977 to 1992, more than 90 per cent of large herbivores were slaughtered, including elephants. The elephant population dropped from more than 2,500 individuals 50 years ago, to less than 250 in 2000.
Denne historien er fra December 2021-utgaven av BBC Focus - Science & Technology.
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Denne historien er fra December 2021-utgaven av BBC Focus - Science & Technology.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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CHANGE THE (BODY) CLOCKS
Why the end of British Summer Time can be a wake-up call for our circadian health
ARE OCTOPUSES SENTIENT?
If you've watched the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher or been lucky enough to encounter an octopus in the wild, you'll know there's something special about them.
THE MEXICAN MOLE LIZARD
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Do we finally know how the Egyptian Pyramids were built?
A number of breakthrough studies are beginning to paint a picture of how these wonders of the world were built, but much of the story still remains a mystery...
ECLIPSES ON DEMAND
Inside an unassuming building, behind a damp car park in Antwerp, Belgium, scientists are teaching two spacecraft to be dance partners for a performance that will take place in front of the Sun.
How light's 'secret code' reveals the story of the cosmos
The starlight we can see tells us alot about the Universe, but it's the parts we can't see that contain the biggest revelations
An artificial heart inspired by plumbing
Mechanical circulation could revolutionise transplant design and reduce waiting lists
Major Stonehenge discovery deepens mystery around ancient monument
New findings suggest a key six-tonne stone came from over 450 miles north of the circle
THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF PNEUMATIC TUBES
Once a pioneering technology that revolutionised deliveries, pneumatic tubes had all but disappeared. Now they're back and enjoying a resurgence
LIVING FOSSILS
FOR SOME CREATURES ALIVE TODAY TIME HAS ALMOST STOOD STILL. MEET THE 'LIVING FOSSILS' THAT GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE IN THE DISTANT PAST
