Why Are Some Elephants Born Without Tusks Despite Their Natural Need for Them? The Evolutionary Puzzle Uncovered

Field rangers in parts of Africa, who monitor elephant herds, began to notice something unusual. Some of the females in certain herds looked different. Specifically, whereas long ivory tusks normally protrude from an elephant’s face, some of these females had none at all.

Initially, it was not considered unusual. There had always been tuskless elephants, but they had never been common.

However, it soon became apparent that more females in certain herds were coming of age without tusks.


For an animal as closely associated with tusks as elephants, it was natural to pose one question:

Why were these elephants losing one of their most defining features?

Years of Ivory Hunting Changed Which Elephants Survived

The explanation goes back to decades of ivory poaching.

During the Mozambican civil war between 1977 and 1992, elephants in Gorongosa National Park were hunted heavily for their tusks. Ivory was valuable and easy to sell, so animals with large tusks became prime targets.

Poachers usually chose those elephants first.

Animals without tusks often escaped that attention. Without ivory, they were far less valuable to hunters.

This difference played a role in the survival of the animals. The elephants without tusks were more likely to survive, while the others were killed.

These elephants eventually gave birth to their own calves. Some of these calves were born without tusks.

Slowly, the elephant herd changed.

Research Revealed How Dramatic the Change Was

Scientists later examined elephant populations in the park to understand what had happened.

A study titled Rapid Evolution of Tusklessness in African Elephants focused on the Gorongosa herds. The results showed a striking shift.

Before the civil war, about 18 percent of female elephants were born without tusks. After years of heavy ivory hunting, the number increased sharply.

In some groups, more than half of the females no longer had tusks.

Another research paper titled Ivory Poaching and the Rapid Evolution of Tuskless African Elephants explored the genetics behind the change. The researchers identified links between tusk growth and genes that control enamel development.

One gene involved is known as AMELX, which plays a role in how teeth form.

The inheritance pattern is unusual. Female elephants can live with the mutation connected to tusklessness. Male calves carrying the same mutation often do not survive.

Because of this, some elephant populations now show fewer males than expected.

Living Without Tusks Requires Small Adjustments

Elephants without tusks still manage everyday life in the wild.

Researchers observing the animals in the field have seen tuskless elephants rely more heavily on their trunks while feeding. Instead of prying bark from trees with tusks, they twist branches or pull vegetation loose.

Elephants are highly adaptable animals. Their trunks are strong enough to handle many tasks.

Still, the absence of tusks changes how elephants interact with their environment.

Elephants shape landscapes as they move through forests and grasslands. They knock down small trees, spread seeds, and create pathways used by other animals.

Changes in their feeding habits can gradually influence plant growth and the structure of the habitat.

What the Change Means for the Future

The increasing number of tuskless elephants is an example of how much humans affect wildlife.

In areas where there was a lot of hunting for elephant ivory, tuskless elephants had a survival advantage.

This advantage led to the spread of the trait throughout the population.

Tusks are useful appendages in the wild. They help elephants search for water during dry seasons and protect them from predators if needed.

Scientists think that if good protection is maintained and hunting is reduced, then evolution could slowly bring about a more balanced population with more elephants with and without tusks.

The evolution is an unusual case that occurs in just one lifetime.