Answer:
The observed increase in the population of tuskless elephants in Mozambique can be attributed to a phenomenon known as "selective pressure." This phenomenon is a consequence of selective hunting during the civil war when poachers targeted elephants with large tusks. The change in the elephant population can be explained through the principles of natural selection and genetics:
Step-by-step explanation:
The observed increase in the population of tuskless elephants in Mozambique can be attributed to a phenomenon known as "selective pressure." This phenomenon is a consequence of selective hunting during the civil war when poachers targeted elephants with large tusks. The change in the elephant population can be explained through the principles of natural selection and genetics:
Selective Pressure: During the civil war, the hunting of elephants for their ivory tusks imposed a selective pressure on the elephant population. Poachers selectively targeted elephants with large tusks, which were heritable traits passed down through generations.
Heritability: The presence or absence of tusks in elephants has a genetic basis. While some elephants are genetically predisposed to grow large tusks, others may have genetic variations that result in the absence or smallness of tusks.
Differential Survival: Due to the selective hunting of elephants with large tusks, elephants with smaller tusks or tuskless individuals had a higher chance of surviving the poaching. This was because they were less likely to be targeted by the poachers, allowing them to reproduce and pass on their tuskless genetic traits to their offspring.
Evolutionary Change: Over time, the proportion of tuskless elephants in the population increased as a result of this differential survival and reproduction. The tuskless trait became more prevalent in the population because elephants without or with smaller tusks had a higher likelihood of reproducing and passing on their tuskless genes.
Post-War Population Shift: With the conclusion of the civil war and a reduced threat from ivory poaching, the population of tuskless elephants continued to grow due to the increased representation of this trait in the gene pool.
In summary, the increase in tuskless elephants in Mozambique can be explained as an outcome of selective hunting during the civil war, where elephants with large tusks were selectively removed from the population. This led to a shift in the genetic composition of the elephant population, favoring tuskless traits, and the effects of this selective pressure continue to be observed even after the conflict has ended.