Question

Elephant population numbers have decreased significantly in recent history due to hunting and habitat destruction. Which of the following is likely to be true of the current elephant population when compared to the ancestral populations?
(a) The current population is expected to be faster
(b) The current population is expected to have a more intricate social structure
(c) The current population is expected to have larger tusks
(d) The current population is expected to have less genetic diversity

Answer 1

Hint: Elephants have been hunted and killed since times immemorial for their valuable tusks or for their thick skin. Each population is equipped with some variations forwarded by its ancestor. The number of these variations depends on the number of elephants in a population.

Complete answer:
Each member of a population has a unique set of genomes that defines their individuality and thus leads to variation in a population. The more the number of organisms, the richer is the genetic composition. But lately, a significant decline in their numbers has been observed either due to illegal hunting or habitat loss by deforestation. In either case, it will impact their genetic diversity which will slowly decline with their dwindling population.

Additional Information:
- Elephants are usually hunted for their tusks which are rich in ivory. They use their tusks for defense, digging, assembling food, etc. The trained elephants use their tusks to lift logs.
- This prized ‘ivory’ has been in use for centuries for ornamental, and medicinal purposes. Its use to make weapons has also been reported.
- The tusk keeps on growing in its lifetime though a few changes have been witnessed by scientists in the tusk population due to the side effects of poaching.
- Like, in Mozambique wildlife, elephants with big tusks are more difficult to find than the tuskless ones. The ‘big tusk gene’ is slowly eradicating from the new population of elephants.
- Though many countries declared it illegal afterward, poaching is still continued.
So, the correct answer is ‘(d) The current population is expected to have less genetic diversity.’

Note:
- Tusks are a modification of two upper incisors.
- There are two species of elephants in existence. These are Elephas africana (African Elephant) and Elephas indicus (Asian elephant). Both males and females of African elephants grow tusks. Though a male’s tusk is bigger and heavier than a female’s. In a population of Asian elephants, only males grow tusks.