Ivory poaching has led to a "rapid evolution" of tuskless African elephants, as elephants without tusks were far more likely to survive during the height of the ivory trade, according to new research.

Elephants are among the largest mammals on Earth. They are loved by many for their intelligence and varied personalities.

Rapid Evolution. For years, groups of poachers have killed thousands of elephants just so they can take their teeth. On average, 104 elephants are killed every day for their teeth.

The Evolution of Elephants. Palaeoloxodon antiquus is known as the straight-tusked elephant because of its distinctive and somewhat bizarre appearance. Its ancestors, ...

Elephants weren’t always the gentle giants we know today – their ancestors were some of the strangest creatures to walk the Earth. In this video, we explore the bizarre evolutionary journey of ...

The elephant survey data gave them an idea where to look: Because the tuskless elephants were female, they focused on the X chromosome. (Females have two X chromosomes; males have one X and one Y ...

Researchers found that the animals are capable of using their trunks to make a range of gestures that express their ...

Humans aren’t the only animals that use rituals to connect and bond. Elephant researcher CAITLIN O’CONNELL has spent 30 years studying wild elephants in Namibia, observing their complex behavior, and ...

WASHINGTON — A hefty set of tusks is usually an advantage for elephants, allowing them to dig for water, strip bark for food and joust with other elephants. But during episodes of intense ivory ...

During the conflict from 1977 to 1992, fighters on both sides slaughtered elephants for ivory to finance war efforts. In the region that’s now Gorongosa National Park, around 90% of the ...

WASHINGTON — A hefty set of tusks is usually an advantage for elephants, allowing them to dig for water, strip bark for food and joust with other elephants. But during episodes of intense ivory ...