Kick in the face for poachers - elephants are evolving without tusks

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/180301.stm

I was reading about this in a journal yesterday and found it fascinating. Great news for the elephant populations! While the poachers are, sadly, killing elephants with large tusks, this allows the elephants with smaller (or no) tusks to breed, producing more elephants with smaller (or no) tusks. Go elephants!

I've read something similar that seems more true than the chance genetic mutation.
The genes for the big tusk carriers are being killed of with the elephants themself leaving the elephants with smaller tusks to breed and survive; hence smaller tusks.

Talking about evolving or rather certain features becoming dominant. In America rattlesnakes are losing their rattles. The snakes that have big rattles and make lots of noise are killed so the quieter/smaller rattlers are breeding and surviving.
The article said how dangerous this was because of the frequency of rattlesnake strikes.

Nature has its ways.......

Will the evolve quick enough before they're wiped out completely?

Such lovely creatures, being treated so bad.

Huh! There you go. That would be something awesome. I know they use them for foraging /eating etc and they really do need them, but well...thy need to live!

So yeah this is good news

I just dont understand ivory, who is it buying it..weirdos

Considering the rate at which this recent development has occurred, it might actually help the species' chances of survival! Coupled with conservation efforts, I don't think the elephants will be wiped out. Hopefully.

It's such a shame that nature has had to do this, though.

Natural Selection is a wonderful thing.

Survival of the fittest!

Its not natural unfortunately. As Eleanor says the weaker ones that would not have a shot at breeding normally are getting a chance because the better bulls are just not there anymore..

It's natural, in as much as nature is taking care of itself. It has happened as a secondary result of human interference, though.

The elephant population shouldn't be too badly affected by the small-tusked elephants breeding. Conservationists have been attempting to remove tusks from elephants anyway, in an effort to discourage poachers and ensure the survival of the species.