Poaching has been evident for many years. It’s something you are probably very familiar with, but you may be unaware of how it affects evolution. There are many different animals that poachers target: tigers, giraffes, gorillas, rhinos, and specifically to show the impact of evolution: elephants. While it is illegal for these animals to be hunted, poachers find a way (Oosthuizen, 2018). A defining trait for elephants for thousands of years has been their enormous tusks. Tusks are actually elongated incisors and are essentially no different from other teeth. Elephants use their tusks as weapons against predators or other males for mating purposes, foraging, digging, stripping bark from trees, and moving large items. Tusks are used every day by these elephants, and they are crucial to both the environment and for the elephant’s survival. Many other species of animals live in the trees that are knocked over or stripped of bark. The elephants also dig holes which allow water access for many different animals (Zimmerman, 2011). This directly affects the survival of animals, which in turn can cause a shift in genetics. For example, hunters are able to pick off slower animals, so in turn the faster animals will survive and reproduce, passing on the genes for speed. Hunting and poaching have greatly changed the genetic population and one great example is that of the elephant.
Ivory poaching for tusks is the main reason that elephants have been so heavily hunted. Elephant ivory has been used in huge amounts to make billiards balls, piano keys, identification chips, and many other items for human enjoyment. In Africa during the 1960s, it was very rare for elephants to be tusk-less. Only 2-4% of female elephants did not have tusks and less than 1% of males. After the 1970s and 1980s, the frequency of poaching greatly increased. Since tusked elephants were now being hunted, tusk-less was now a genetic advantage. Since the tuskless elephants were surviving, these were the elephants who reproduced. While it is still very rare for male elephants to be tusk-less, female elephants in Africa have now become virtually tusk-less. 98% of female elephants do not have tusks in the Addo Elephant National Park in 2000 (Guyton, 2018).
Since there are much more restrictive bans of poaching and ivory trade, the population of tusked elephants is starting to rise again. Tusks are still a massive genetic advantage for elephants in the wild, so as long as they are not being hunted for their ivory, the gene pool should shift away from tusk-less and towards tusks. The reason elephants shifted tusk-less was due to human interference. If humans did not hunt elephants for their ivory, elephants with tusks would always have the genetic advantage as they would be the dominant specimen and would more likely survive and win in a fight for a female.
Ivory poaching for tusks is the main reason that elephants have been so heavily hunted. Elephant ivory has been used in huge amounts to make billiards balls, piano keys, identification chips, and many other items for human enjoyment. In Africa during the 1960s, it was very rare for elephants to be tusk-less. Only 2-4% of female elephants did not have tusks and less than 1% of males. After the 1970s and 1980s, the frequency of poaching greatly increased. Since tusked elephants were now being hunted, tusk-less was now a genetic advantage. Since the tuskless elephants were surviving, these were the elephants who reproduced. While it is still very rare for male elephants to be tusk-less, female elephants in Africa have now become virtually tusk-less. 98% of female elephants do not have tusks in the Addo Elephant National Park in 2000 (Guyton, 2018).
Since there are much more restrictive bans of poaching and ivory trade, the population of tusked elephants is starting to rise again. Tusks are still a massive genetic advantage for elephants in the wild, so as long as they are not being hunted for their ivory, the gene pool should shift away from tusk-less and towards tusks. The reason elephants shifted tusk-less was due to human interference. If humans did not hunt elephants for their ivory, elephants with tusks would always have the genetic advantage as they would be the dominant specimen and would more likely survive and win in a fight for a female.