Deuce Richardson scouted up this curious story. The theory seems far-fetched on the face of it, but… maybe? Seems to be backed up by data.
Ivory poaching has led to a “rapid evolution” of tuskless African elephants, as elephants without tusks were far more likely to survive during the height of the ivory trade, according to new research.
Much of the distress on the species occurred during the Mozambican Civil War from 1977 to 1992, when the ivory poaching in the region was at its most intense, according to a new study published Thursday in Science. During the conflict, armed forces on both sides relied heavily on the ivory trade to finance the war efforts, according to the researchers.
The elephant population in the region declined more than 90% due to the war, and the mass hunting of the mammals for their tusks resulted in a phenotype of the species that had a better chance of survival — specifically, female elephants.
During the conflict, a tuskless female would have five times the chances of survival than a female with a tusk, Shane Campbell-Staton, an evolutionary biologist at Princeton University, told ABC News.
“So it actually seems to be a very strong selection over a very short period of time,” he said.
This undated photo provided by ElephantVoices in October 2021 shows tuskless elephant matriarch with her two calves in the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. A hefty set of tusks is usually an advantage for elephants, allowing them to dig for water, strip bark for food and joust with other elephants. But during episodes of intense ivory poaching, those big incisors become a liability. (ElephantVoices via AP)
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Talking with my friend Erik the other day, we reflected on the knee-jerk reaction to the accidental shooting that occurred on the set of an Alec Baldwin Western. There is a large swath of society that reacts to any accident, mishap or misfortune with a call for bans and ever-more stringent regulation. As Erik (an accomplished race car driver) put it:
“There’s a crash on a race track? Ban racing! Make it virtual!”
Steering clear of the political shitstorm that swirls around… well… everything… these days, let me just say that all evidence points to neglect of basic safety protocols, probably by several people on that set. You don’t need reactionary new regulations or bans to address such episodes: You need common sense and and a basic adherence to protocols that are already in place. Tragic, stupid, preventable accidents are almost never caused by lack of sufficient regulation. They’re caused by failure to do what we know we are supposed to be doing — and by failing to speak up when we see somebody doing something stupid. Both firearms safety and film set protocols are well-established and effective. All anyone needs to do is adhere to them.
Of all elements of the late-civilizational decay we are witnessing, the impulse to regulate every breath in pursuit of a zero-risk environment is one of the most insidious, pernicious and infuriating. It certainly is antithetical to the Frontier Partisan spirit. The most successful Frontier Partisans were neither risk-averse nor reckless. Any Long Hunter or Mountain Man fit to ride the river with knew that caution and preparation were keys to survival. They took their precautions — and went boldly, recognizing that even the best of preparation was no guarantee against the vicissitudes of terrain, illness, weather, critters, hostile men, etc.
We have already reduced risk to a level inconceivable to our forefathers. Seeking to eliminate it renders us vacuous. I do not want to live in bubble wrap, or — worse — virtually.
Matthew says
The tuskless elephant thing is weird and a shame that it happened.
Right about the whole Alec Baldwin thing. There were calls for stricter gun laws here in Colorado after Columbine even though the perpetrators had broken about a dozen laws. If we just enforced the laws we had it wouldn’t have happen and hunters could keep their rifles. I believe that we would need less government if people lived more by common sense. Of course, no one is perfect so we need some government, but we could do with less.
Finished Blood Meridian. It was even more powerful than the last time I read it.
JimC says
The Universe seems to be conspiring to push me into another BM read. A number of elements, including your re-read. I think I’d better listen to the synchronicity.
Matthew says
It is definitely worth rereading. Synchronicity hit me a week ago. I had just put BM down to watch an episode of High Chapparal which dealt with you guessed it scalphunting.
lane+batot says
How I LOVE “The High Chapparal”–my FAVORITE Western series from the “old days”! I have the whole series on DVD now–been watching a few at a time, here and there–it was a TV series my whole family used to sit and watch together–man! The memories that come flooding back watching that show, after all these years! And I think it still holds up quite well even today–absolutely GREAT characters! I think that show was HUGE in my early interest in Apaches, which are featured in what? Every other episode? Yeah, just about!
JimC says
I, too, loved that show.
Matthew says
My dad considers it the best western tv series. From what I’ve seen it is. Bonanza was crap. Gunsmoke while better than Bonanza doesn’t always hold up. High Chapparal does.
Brian H. says
I’m pretty much obsessed with it. For, like, twenty years now. There’s an interesting book written about it a couple of years back called “I Meant To Kill Ye”. Interesting for multiple reasons…
JimC says
I Meant To Kill Ye looks interesting. Off to ILL…
Matthew says
It does look interesting.
Keith West says
I didn’t realize there were such things as tuskless elephants. And strongly wish there didn’t have to be.
Fully agree with your comments on safety, regulations, and civilizational decay. Risk (within reason) is what makes life worth living.
Quixotic Mainer says
I’m not shocked that the olyphants are going to concealed carry under the pressure of tusk hunting. You can see the same thing with deer herds at times, when bucks can be mature as a 4 pointer. Or a 2×2 as you westerners would call them.
On the subject of the ban everything safety tape types, it’s a side effect of our cushy and litigious times. We have too many people metaphorically bundled up like the little brother in “Christmas Story”. It’s definitely not producing the type you’d want with you fending off a war party or hauling a keelboat.
JimC says
Excellent point re: deer.
David Wrolson says
Re-Tuskless elephants
I know Zimbabwe (and maybe other places) encourages the hunting of tuskless cows to remove them from the gene pool. ie the trophy is cheaper and so forth.
From my reading, tuskless cows are more aggressive-probably because they need to be.
JimC says
Interesting.
lane+batot says
Of course female Asian elephants rarely have tusks–maybe because they were hunted for ivory far longer than the African elephants?….And yes, what’s the point in making MORE laws when you cain’t enforce the ones you got?
wayne says
As an old hunter education instructor, the first things I do when someone hands me a modern firearm are to make sure the safety is on and check to see if there is a round chambered. If so, I eject it and make sure it is appropriate for the kind of shooting we’re doing. While skeet shooting, a fellow once offered me his shotgun to try. I went through my safety sequence and found a double ought buckshot round in the magazine rather than a number 8. He intended a joke, but I didn’t find it funny. Firearms should always be examined by the shooter, not someone else. A little education goes a long way in preventing accidents.
JimC says
This 100 percent. And… I’m always up for a laugh, but there ain’t no such thing as a “joke” involving the handling of firearms.
Matthew says
I wonder if Alec Baldwin even knew you were suppose to check if it was loaded?
John M Roberts says
They won’t look as majestic without tusks, but that’s a small price to pay for saving the species. Future scientists should be able to re-insert the genes for tusks. Within a decade or two lab-grown ivory should be available, cheap and undistinguishable from the real thing down to molecular level. I’d sure like to have ivory grips for my single-actions, without the guilt.