This is fascinating. They occupy similar geographical regions but continue to breed within their own ‘race’ as it were. This suggests a much higher level of social conditioning, and by default intelligence and self awareness than one might expect from an ‘animal’? :-)
Dissimilar, as savanna and forest. Live Science also has an article on this but I don't see in either article if the two types are anywhere in adjoining areas. I'm guessing they are not.
It’s not at all surprising, Expat. For the same reason a mare would reject a donkey (if given a choice) members of species are instructed what to do by their genes; that is, if a female devotes an egg, the time and resources to raise an offspring, here a calf, the product of mating with a member of a different species, then like the product of the pairing of a female horse and a donkey, the result might be a sterile offspring, as with the mule.
Consequently their genes are not propagated, so that the females who choose to be `open-minded’ produce no offspring with similar genes. The successful elephants went with a sure thing: a male they recognize as being of their own kind.
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Was a bear.
Fuzzy Wuzzy,
Had no hair.
Fuzzy Wuzzy,
Wasn’t fuzzy,
Was he?