African elephants are being born without tusks due to poaching, researchers say
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The species could become extinct in some areas, with those elephants that do survive evolving to be almost completely tuskless
The species could become extinct in some areas, with those elephants that do survive evolving to be almost completely tuskless
An
increasing number of African elephants are now born tuskless because poachers
have consistently targetted animals with the best ivory over decades,
fundamentally altering the gene pool. In some areas 98 per cent of female
elephants now have no tusks, researchers have said, compared to between two and
six per cent born tuskless on average in the past. Almost a third of Africa’s
elephants have been illegally slaughtered by poachers in the past ten years to
meet demand for ivory in Asia, where there is still a booming trade in the
material, particularly in China.
About
144,000 elephants were killed between 2007 and 2014, leaving the species at
risk of extinction in some areas. Meanwhile those African elephant populations
that do survive could become virtually tuskless, like their Asian cousins,
researchers have warned. Joyce Poole is head of the charity Elephant Voices and
has been tracking developments in the species for more than 30 years. She told
The Times she had seen a direct correlation between the intensity of poaching
and the percentage of females born without tusks in some of the herds she
monitored.
In
Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique, 90 per cent of elephants were
slaughtered between 1977 and 1992, during the country's civil war. Dr Poole
said that because poachers disproportianetly targetted tusked animals, almost
half the females over 35 years of age have no tusks, and although poaching is
now under control and the population is recovering well, they are passing the
tuskless gene down to their daughters: 30 per cent of female elephants born since
the end of the war also do not have tusks.
“Females
who are tuskless are more likely to produce tuskless offspring,” she said. The
most striking example is in the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa,
where 98 per cent of female elephants have no ivory. Big game hunters there had
killed all but 11 elephants by the time the park was created in 1931. Four of
the eight surviving females were tuskless. In
2008, scientists found that even among elephants that remained tusked, the
tusks were smaller than in elephants' a century before – roughly half their
previous size. Although not having tusks may protect elephants from poaching,
it not ideal. “Tusks are used to dig for food and water, to dig up trees and
branches and move them around, for self-defence and for sexual display,"
the BBC reported. “Conservationists say an elephant without tusks is a crippled
elephant."
From the source: http://www.independent.co.uk
"The species could become extinct in some areas, with those elephants that do survive evolving to be almost completely tuskless". In this reading passage, what's the best meaning for the word "evolving"?
ReplyDeleteA) To move through a system.
B) To transform material
C) To change genetic composition
D)To give off genetic materials
"An increasing number of African elephants are now born tuskless because poachers have consistently targetted animals with the best ivory over decades, fundamentally altering the gene pool." What does the fragment, "altering the gene pool" mean in this text extraction?
ReplyDeleteA) To move through a system.
B) To transform material
C) To change genetic composition
D)To give off genetic materials
"Africa’s elephants have been illegally slaughtered by poachers in the past ten years to meet demand for ivory in Asia, where there is still a booming trade in the material, particularly in China." Choose the the correct order of the words that best replace the words:
ReplyDeleteslaughtered/poachers/booming
A)killing/massacre/defeat
B)person/vessel/attacker
C)killing/person/growth
D)prosperity/growth/resonant.
"Meanwhile those African elephant populations that do survive could become virtually tuskless (...)" What word can best replace the word "meanwhile"?
ReplyDeleteA) The time between two events.
B) During the time something is happening.
C) All options are correct.
D) At the same time, but elsewhere.
“Females who are tuskless are more likely to produce tuskless offspring,” she said. The most striking example is in the Addo Elephant National Park in South Africa, where 98 per cent of female elephants have no ivory. Big game hunters there had killed all but 11 elephants by the time the park was created in 1931. Four of the eight surviving females were tuskless."
ReplyDeleteThe words "tuskless", "offspring","striking" and "ivory". are equivalent to:
A) toothless, baby, especially, tusk
B) toothless, young, attractive, especially
C) no tooth, youngster, impressive, substance.
D) lacking teeth, child, squad, dentin
In the last paragraph we find these words: roughly, poaching, branches, and crippled. What word order best explains their meanings?
ReplyDeleteA) immoderately, hunt illegally, limb, offensive
B) conveniently, steal game, offshoot, unwounded
C) violently, illegal practice, ramification, unable
D) nearly, encroachment, shrub, overgrown