By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com A new study from the University of Helsinki reveals a striking example of how changing environmental conditions drive evolution. In this case, it involves elephant teeth. The experts found that the evolutionary journey of proboscideans –...
“Hunting Africa”: how international trophy hunting may constitute neocolonial green extractivism
By Sian Sullivan - Journal of Political Ecology Abstract In the post-Cold War neoliberal moment of the mid-1990s, Safari Club International's (SCI) nascent but now defunct 'African Chapter' published a Strategic Plan for Africa. Its aim was to secure the "greatest...
Similar to humans, elephants also vary what they eat for dinner every night
By Brown University Elephants eat plants. That's common knowledge to biologists and animal-loving schoolchildren alike. Yet figuring out exactly what kind of plants the iconic herbivores eat is more complicated. new study from a global team that included Brown...
A Phased Approach to Increase Human Tolerance in Elephant Corridors to Link Protected Areas in Southern Mozambique
By Michelle D. Henley, Robin M. Cook, Anka Bedetti, Jessica Wilmot, Adine Roode , Carlos L. Pereira, João Almeida, António Alverca - MDPI Abstract Pathfinding elephants are moving through human dominated landscapes, often across international boundaries, thereby...
The value of elephants: A pluralist approach
By Antoinette van de Water, Michelle Henley, Lucy Bates, Rob Slotow - Science Direct Highlights We identify the multiple, overlapping benefits to humans and nature that elephants provide. We augment existing valuation systems...
Save Africa’s forest elephants if you want the Congo rainforest to continue capturing carbon: Study
By Rajat Ghai - Down to Earth World’s second-biggest rainforest could lose 6-9 % of its carbon capture ability, if the forest elephant goes extinct, says Saint Louis University research. Africa’s iconic elephants are on the brink. But while the ‘African elephant’...
Innovation in elephant dung analysis offers endless benefits for conservation
By Shaun Smillie - Daily Maverick Every pile of elephant dung holds a story that tells of forgotten migrations, ancient hookups and a population’s well-being, and now scientists are unlocking these secrets thanks to a new way of collecting DNA. It used to be that when...
Drivers and facilitators of the illegal killing of elephants across 64 African sites
By Timothy Kuiper, Res Altwegg, Colin Beale, Thea Carroll, Holly T. Dublin, Severin Hauenstein, Mrigesh Kshatriya, Carl Schwarz, Chris R. Thouless, Andrew Royle and E.J. Milner-Gulland AbstractIvory poaching continues to threaten African elephants. We (1) used...
Seasonal range fidelity of a megaherbivore in response to environmental change
By Rhea Burton-Roberts, Line S. Cordes, Rob Slotow, Abi Tamim Vanak, Maria Thaker, Navashni Govender & Graeme Shannon - Scientific Reports Abstract For large herbivores living in highly dynamic environments, maintaining range fidelity has the potential to...
Study reveals the true value of elephants
By University of Portsmouth / Phys.Org New research examining the services and benefits of elephants has revealed many values are often overlooked when deciding how they should be protected. The collaboration between universities in England and South Africa, including...