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Forest Elephants share something other than name.; ... And the IUCN and other organizations still don't recognize the African Forest Elephant as a separated species.
Topic Started: Oct 12 2016, 08:04 AM (1,105 Views)
babehunter1324
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I'm a bit late on this one, but I thought it was interesting enough for a new topic.

http://www.nature.com/news/elephant-history-rewritten-by-ancient-genomes-1.20622

An analysis of the genome of two 120,000 years old Paleoloxodon antiquus individuals found in Germany show that, contrary to what has long been assumed, the species was not particularly closely related to the Asian elephant but more closely related to the African elephant, however even more perplexing is the fact that the African forest elephant is genetically closer to the straight tusk elephant than to the African bush elephant, meaning that either Paleoloxodon and Loxodonta have to be synomized or that the African forest elephant will have to be removed from Loxodonta.

The study also suggests that the extinct European elephant species interbreed in several instances with both the Asian elephant and the woolly mammoth.

Posted Image

*Source: http://philip72.deviantart.com/art/Palaeoloxodon-antiquus-639558192

In hindsight this actually makes quite a lot of sense, both species seem to have preferred forested areas and obtain much of the sustainment by browsing and their tusks tend to be fairly straight and downward facing.
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Also I would like to just give a passing mention to the fact that many international organizations still recognize the African elephant as a single species and allow trading of both species equally, which is extremely worrying considering that the African forest elephant is suffering an extreme population decline throught the last two decades and has a much lower total population than its savannah counter partner.

Edited by babehunter1324, Oct 13 2016, 06:00 AM.
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the dark phoenix
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King of wonderlandia

Wait...so if we organize things right... Paleoloxodon still exists and we have three living elephant species?
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babehunter1324
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the dark phoenix
Oct 12 2016, 04:32 PM
Wait...so if we organize things right... Paleoloxodon still exists and we have three living elephant species?
The African forest elephant has been considered a different species by most of the scientifical community for at least a decade, this information however seems to point out that elephant systematics are very complicated.

Still, it's about time that IUCN, CITES and other international organizations catch up, or before we know it the African forest elephant will become one of those animals that we begun to protect when it was too late.
Edited by babehunter1324, Oct 13 2016, 06:20 AM.
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Imperator Furiosa
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Chaos Theory

This is really incredible. I've always thought African Bush Elephants and African Forest Elephants looked fairly distinct from each other but I never imagined that they were so distantly related to each other. Hopefully some reclassification and serious consideration from international conservation groups follows soon.
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the dark phoenix
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King of wonderlandia

babehunter1324
Oct 12 2016, 07:08 PM
the dark phoenix
Oct 12 2016, 04:32 PM
Wait...so if we organize things right... Paleoloxodon still exists and we have three living elephant species?
The African forest elephant has been considered a different species by most of the scientifical community for at least a decade, this information however seems to point out that elephant systematics are very complicated.

Still, it's about time that IUCN, CITES and other international organizations catch up, or before we know it the African forest elephant will become one of those animals that we begun to protect when it was too late.
Someone needs to draw up a family tree because I understand but at the same time ...I don't know.

I get it but I don't get it.
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Fireplume
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Snok Snok Snerson

Basically, if I'm understanding correctly, Paleoloxodon represents the between-genus of Loxodonta and Mammuthus (and by extension, Elephas).

The Forest Elephant is a separate species but not called such by authorities cause frankly they're either stupid or just don't want to spend the resources to protect/control trade of it more, dunno. Whatever genus the species belongs to, it is in a dire situation (perhaps even moreso than other megafauna; at least they're known and have protections in place).
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babehunter1324
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Fireplume
Oct 12 2016, 10:46 PM
Basically, if I'm understanding correctly, Paleoloxodon represents the between-genus of Loxodonta and Mammuthus (and by extension, Elephas).

The Forest Elephant is a separate species but not called such by authorities cause frankly they're either stupid or just don't want to spend the resources to protect/control trade of it more, dunno. Whatever genus the species belongs to, it is in a dire situation (perhaps even moreso than other megafauna; at least they're known and have protections in place).
I wouldn't use terms like "between-genus", their last common ancester would be much older probably more so than Primelephas, but yes, it was genetically compatible with the Asian elephant and mammoths while the modern African bush elephant isn't for the most part (only one confirmed instance of hybrid between Asian and African elephants). No idea if the African forest elephant is compatible or not.

And yes, the area of distribution of the species has a very volatille political situation meaning that it is very hard to make any significant conservation effort to protect them. Add to the fact that African forest elephant tusks are the most valuable of any Proboscidean (including all other extant species and the woolly mammoth) due to the high density of their ivory as well as high scale logging industries.

The future for the species is really bleak.
Edited by babehunter1324, Oct 13 2016, 06:18 AM.
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CyborgIguana
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I hate it when politics get in the way of environmental conservation, the latter should ALWAYS be a priority IMO.
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babehunter1324
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Bumping because the study has been finally published: https://elifesciences.org/articles/25413

(I know I shouldn't do it, but I think it is more desirable than making a new topic).
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