The combination of HHMI video resources and getting to work with research data collected by scientists promotes quantitative literacy skill development in an engaging, authentic learning experience. But the proportion of tuskless elephants has increased in some populations. Case studies are powerful tools for teaching. The result is that tuskless elephants have a higher chance of survival than those with tusks and, therefore, the proportion of tusklessness in the population increases. What is unusual about the elephant populations found in Gorongosa now? Perri Carr describes how she uses BioInteractive’s elephant resources to teach concepts ranging from biotechnology to genetics to ecology and conservation. "In a very short amount of time, you've got a lot of populations of elephants who don't have tusks," Long said. Use the theory of evolution to explain the observation that there are no tuskless males in the park. Students use scientific evidence and reasoning to construct an explanation of and develop an argument for tusklessness in elephant populations. That number, however, is increasing for populations that have been subjected to poaching. Share This Editor's Note: We're excited to feature a series of video blog posts filmed at HHMI. Also, the tuskless mutation can be spread, causing future generations to also suffer. Elephants with large tusks are targeted by poachers, who sell the tusks on the ivory market. SCIENCE Tuskless elephants may be a response to the selective pressure of poaching. In addition to more elephants without tusks, researchers are noting an increase in the numbers of both males and females with smaller tusks. Evolution. Scientists believe that tuskless females are a good example of evolution by natural selection. Science Topic. Depending on where we’re touring, you might notice that one of the more identifying features of African elephants—their tusks—are suddenly in short supply. Alternatively, if you are looking for a tuskless elephant – these are available in the Sikumi and Ngamo forest area. Human hunting pressure is a type of unnatural selection, and it just goes to show how dramatically genetics will shift in response to a threat. As in Gorongosa, the numbers are highest among older females. Among female elephants in Gorongosa who were adults during the civil war, however, half are tuskless—the others were simply killed. However, tuskless elephants have the advantage of being ignored by hunters, and so survive to pass their mutated genes to the next generation. Many elephants at the Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, Africa, are lacking one distinguishable feature that elephants usually have: tusks. However, in South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park, 98% of females are tuskless (Whitehouse, 2001). "These tuskless elephants are growing from the survivors of poaching so while we are not talking about evolution yet, we could be talking about the … Therefore, tuskless … Dr. Michael D. Kock, a wildlife veterinarian who studies African elephants, is doubtful that the increased number of tuskless elephants is due to natural selection. African elephants are losing their tusks in an astonishing example of evolution by natural selection which protects them against ivory poachers. If you kill elephants, and some survive because of a genetic trait: It's survival of the fittest. IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017). THIS was one of the dummest thing I've read in weeks. … It's not natural selection that is causing elephants to evolve without tusks, says Ryan Long, a researcher who has studied the elephants at Gorongosa National Park. However, tuskless elephants have the advantage of being ignored by hunters, and so survive to pass their mutated genes to the next generation. Natural Selection Published November 2018 Page 1 of 5 Activity Student Handout Developing an Explanation for Tuskless Elephants INTRODUCTION Most African elephants have tusks, but typically about 6% of females in a population will never grow tusks. Malindi is also a good option, especially during the drier months. Level. 1 Outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins refers to the phenomenon in his book, The Greatest Show on Earth—the evidence for evolution, in the chapter titled “Before our very eyes”. Normally, about 4 to 6 percent of female elephants are tuskless. How might a tuskless elephant be better-adapted to its environment? "These tuskless elephants are growing from the survivors of poaching so while we are not talking about evolution yet, we could be talking about the removal of certain genes from the population." 3. Information Gathering 1. As of 2014, about 350,000 savanna elephants were living in Africa. Fortunately, public opinion forced a change of heart and a preserve was established to protect the elephants. Lessons. Elephants’ tusks are getting shorter—with an increasing proportion of the elephant population even being completely tuskless—and it’s widely being heralded as ‘evolution’ and ‘Darwinism in action’. Normally, only 2% to 6% of Africa’s elephants are born tuskless. selection for tuskless elephants answer key. Combining and Customizing BioInteractive Coral Bleaching Resources, Illegal tusk harvest and the decline of tusk size in the African elephant, Developing an Explanation for Tuskless Elephants. No, not … It’s an incredibly fast demonstration of “natural” selection at work. With the passing of time and generations, the proportion of tusked individuals in the population will probably increase, … It’s an artificial selection, caused by decades of poaching. As you watch the videos, complete the questions from the “Task 1” handout. That number, … Researchers, including Long, are starting to monitor elephants with and without tusks for a comparison study over the coming months. Tuskless females tend to have _____ (tusked/tuskless) offspring. A similar thing happened in … Look up the definition of the term poaching and summarize your understanding of what it means in the space below. Normally, more than 90% of female African elephants have tusks. Normally, about 4 to 6 percent of female elephants are tuskless. This video follows Joyce Poole and other scientists working in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, who made the striking observation that many female elephants lack tusks. As you watch the videos, complete the questions from the “Task 1” handout. Editor's Note: We're excited to feature a series of video blog posts filmed at HHMI. The “unnatural selection” pressure of hunting and war creates circumstances in which tuskless elephants are more likely to survive, breed, and pass on the genes for missing lateral incisors in regions where intense hunting or poaching has occurred. Most African elephants have tusks, but some — about 2% to 6% of females and even fewer males — never grow them. Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching. Tusklessness is almost an exclusively female trait, Long said. Analyzing Data … Natural Selection Published November 2018 Natural Selection P bullish de November 2018 Page 1 of 5 Developing an Explanation for Tuskless Elephants Activity p g p p Student Handout Student Handout Task I. Instead of natural selection, this was human selection. Among Asian elephants, for example, a long history of hunting for ivory—as well as removing tusked elephants from the wild for labor—likely helped contribute to higher tuskless … The “unnatural selection” pressure of hunting and war creates circumstances in which tuskless elephants are more likely to survive, breed, and pass on the genes for missing lateral incisors in regions where intense hunting or poaching has occurred. Tuskless elephants are less likely to be poached. Sikumi and Ngamo. … Whereas a normal level of tusklessness in an elephant population is somewhere between 3 percent and 4 percent, according to the Ugandan report, a 1989 survey of Queen Elizabeth … The professional hunter generally has an experienced tracker in attendance who will search, interpret and follow the signs. Unnatural Selection: Why Tuskless Elephants Are on the Rise. Teaching an Online Introductory Biology Lab Using Evolution and Ecology Resources, Using Genetic Evidence to Identify Ivory Poaching Hotspots, Developing an Explanation for Tuskless Elephants, Moth Mimicry: Using Ultrasound to Avoid Bats, Tracking Lion Recovery in Gorongosa National Park, Surveying Ant Diversity in Gorongosa National Park, A Science-Based Approach to Restoring Gorongosa's Wildlife. Josephine Smit, who studies elephant behaviour as a researcher with the Southern Tanzania Elephant Program, says that among the female elephants she tracks at Ruaha National Park, an area that was heavily poached in the 1970s and 1980s, 21 percent of females older than five are tuskless. This is why the game departments will sometimes promote hunting these tuskless elephants to protect the herds health; usually at a reduced price. The use of the videos provides context, giving the students a chance to experience the environment and collection of the data. AWF's approach to elephant conservation tackles poaching, trafficking, and demand for elephant ivory. Environmental Science. High School — AP/IB. In her free time, she loves to get out hiking and kayaking with her family, going running, and trying new breweries that are always popping up in the area. I am an assistant professor in the biology … That means that, even though poaching levels have fallen, a third of Gorongos’s young female population is tuskless today. Interested in expanding how you use authentic data with your students? Natural selection is perhaps the most crucial aspect of evolution, the change in heritable traits of a population over time. 03.19.19. This activity builds on information presented in the video Selection for Tuskless Elephants. Ecology Science Practices. Feature-destroying mutations are, however, right in line with a world “ in bondage to decay”, as the Bible describes … Female elephants evolved to have no tusks because of poaching. Students research a wide variety of projects in her lab focusing on population genetics, molecular ecology, or ecology of Daphnia, spiders, and nematodes. Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used. Protecting tusked and tuskless elephants as keystone wildlife species. Poaching is the illegal … Watch “Selection for Tuskless Elephants ... What percentage of females are typically tuskless in an elephant population less affected by poaching? Calculate the total number of elephants that appear to have been illegally killed between 2007 and 2013 for: a. … So far the tuskless population is healthy and seems to be thriving. 11. Poaching is selecting for tuskless elephants, which are more likely to survive, mate, and pass on their genes. It's an artificial selection, caused by decades of poaching. _____ Tusklessness is an _____ (inherited/acquired) trait. Their current rate of decline is 8% per year, primarily … The purpose of the elephant tusk is more far-reaching than an aesthetic feature. Dr. Michael D. Kock, a wildlife veterinarian who studies African elephants, is doubtful that the increased number of tuskless elephants is due to natural selection. Among Asian elephants, for example, a long history of hunting for ivory—as well as removing tusked elephants from the wild for labor—likely helped contribute to higher tuskless numbers there. In this video, Poole explains a possible reason. This activity has been implemented using spreadsheets in a high school classroom setting and Radiant in a first-year biology course, in addition to the initial figure exploration in an upper-level biology course. The tusks speak of an ancient, elusive and dangerous beast hard won with sunburnt skin, sore legs and blistered feet from miles upon miles of tracking. Female elephants do use their tusks, but female elephants in Mozambique are doing just fine without them, according to Long. [POOLE:] Here in Gorongosa among the older age class-- that is, the ones who were already adults during the war, when there was heavy poaching-- they are fifty percent tuskless. Next time you’re out on safari with us, pay close attention to the elephants. Africa, adaptation, Gorongosa, microevolution, scientific methodology, scientific process, selective pressure, trait. by on August 29, 2020 0 Like. How might a tuskless elephant be better-adapted to its environment? See anything unusual? Use evidence from the video as examples to support each statement … I was using the HHMI BioInteractive Scientists at Work video “Selection for Tuskless Elephants” to discuss differential selection patterns in my upper-level evolution course. In this article, hear from University of Oklahoma professor Phil Gibson about how he uses case studies with his students to foster community within his classroom. Kim Parfitt describes two activities (now merged into the activity “Scientific Inquiry and Data Analysis Using WildCam Gorongosa”) associated with the WildCam Gorongosa project. As you watch the videos, complete the questions from the “Task 1” handout. Researchers, including Long, are starting to monitor elephants with and without tusks for a comparison study over the coming months. A lack of tusks might save elephants from ivory poachers but an … These approaches vary according to students’ quantitative skill development levels, with resources involving figure interpretation, data set manipulation and graphing in a spreadsheet application, or data set exploration through Radiant (an R graphical user interface) with integrated R Markdown. Matetsi. Home Uncategorized selection for tuskless elephants answer key. Among the younger females, who were born after this period of heavy poaching, 33% are tuskless. To learn more about the problems facing African elephants and their recovery in Gorongosa National Park, watch these two BioInteractive Scientists at Work videos: the first minute of The Great Elephant Census and all of Selection for Tuskless Elephants. II. This activity builds on information presented in the video Selection for Tuskless Elephants. The Great Elephant Census and all of Selection for Tuskless Elephants. Furthermore, among elephants over 25 years old the population is very skewed toward females, due to the fact that male elephants have much larger tusks and are, therefore, preferentially killed by poachers. College — 2-year College — 4-year. Science Practices. The tuskless matriarchs had tuskless offspring, and today nearly all female elephants in the park lack tusks. Why did soldiers kill elephants? Because elephants have been extensively hunted for ivory for more than 300 years, natural selection is often proposed as the underlying mechanism for an increase in the proportion of tuskless or small-tusked elephants in a population. Selection for tuskless elephants Developing an Explanation for Tuskless Elephants Natural Selection Published November 2018 www.BioInteractive.org Page 3 of 6 Activity Educator Materials ANSWER KEY Task I: Information Gathering 1. why are tussles elephants becoming more likely to reproduce than ones with tusks. [POOLE:] It ends up with a higher proportion of tuskless animals who then … More of the tuskless female elephants survived. Scientific and Data Literacy. People sometimes reference this phenomenon as a kind of accelerated natural selection, but it is actually more like artificial selection because it is caused by humans. Most obvious, though, is the high proportion of tuskless elephants. … Activity Student Handout Analyzing Data on Tuskless Elephants Natural Selection Published October 2018 Page 2 of 6 2. Students use scientific evidence and reasoning to construct an explanation of and develop an argument for tusklessness in elephant populations. In my search to find some primary literature and appropriate figures to discuss, I came across Chiyo et al.’s 2015 paper “Illegal tusk harvest and the decline of tusk size in the African elephant.” In my class, we discussed the figures through a Data Point-style activity. Poachers and big game hunters have acted as a lethal and highly effective form of selection by removing tusked elephants from the population. It’s rare to see a tuskless male elephant because in the absence of poaching, males naturally grow larger tusks, since they use them more. “Elephants carry a sex-linked gene for tusklessness, so in most populations there are always some tuskless elephants,” says Poole. Using a “Scientific Explanation of Evolution by Natural Selection” chart, construct an explanation for the high incidence of tusklessness in the Gorongosa elephant … An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player. Are tuskless elephants a result of poaching? Since the data set is publicly available through the Dryad Digital Repository, I began to think about how I could use this rich, authentic research in my other courses to support quantitative skill development. A variety of courses, including evolution, genetics, Anatomy and Physiology for Majors. 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