Step-by-step explanation:
The absence of tusks in males in the park could be explained by the theory of evolution through natural selection. In general, male animals tend to have more prominent and larger structures than females, such as antlers, horns, or tusks. These structures often serve as weapons for male-male competition during mating season. However, in the park, where the male elephants are protected from hunting and poaching, there may be little or no advantage to having tusks for male-male competition.
On the other hand, the fact that 50% of females have lost their tusks suggests that there is some advantage to not having tusks. Female elephants do not engage in male-male competition, and their tusks are not as important for feeding or other tasks as males. However, tusks can be a liability for females because they can be targeted by poachers, who often hunt elephants for their ivory tusks. Therefore, females without tusks may have a higher survival rate and be more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation.
Overall, the retention or loss of tusks in elephants can be explained by the process of natural selection, where the traits that confer an advantage in survival or reproduction are more likely to be passed on to future generations. In this case, the factors that contribute to the survival and reproductive success of males and females in the park are likely different, which may explain why they have different patterns of tusk retention