Elephant DNA Studied [Possible New Species of Elephant]

AP ^ | MALCOLM RITTER

[Junior]

Africa may harbor three species of elephant instead of just two, suggests a study based on DNA extracted from dung.

If that is confirmed, it means that roughly 12,000 elephants living in western Africa are a distinct and endangered species, due to their small scattered populations, researcher Lori Eggert said.

It will take more analysis to determine whether the western elephants really represent a third species, said Eggert, a postdoctoral researcher at the Smithsonian Institution ( news - web sites) in Washington.

"We need to err on the side of caution," she said, because of the implications for conservation.

She is lead author of the new study, based on work she did while at the University of California, San Diego. It was published online Sept. 12 by Proceedings B, a journal of the London-based Royal Society.

Just last year, other researchers presented DNA evidence from elsewhere in the continent that African elephants living in forests are a separate species from those found on the savannah. The western African elephants analyzed in the new work live in both types of habitat.

To get DNA for the new study, Eggert sampled dung from western elephants in Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Mali, as well as from elephants in Cameroon.

Genetic material was then extracted from intestinal cells found in the dung. Analysis of that DNA was then compared to DNA results from elephants elsewhere in Africa.

The results suggest the western elephants have been isolated from the other elephants for some 2.4 million years, Eggert said.

John Hart, a senior conservation zoologist with the New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society, said the estimate of 12,000 western elephants may be optimistic. In any case, he said, "they're still disappearing. The pressure on these remnant populations has not ended."

The creatures are being poached, and as they are forced into small areas they come in conflict with local people, which raises support for poaching, he said.

Eggert's work and similar research should help conservationists by pointing out which elephant populations represent important genetic lineages that should have priority for conservation, he said. Such work can also reveal links between currently isolated populations so they can be logically grouped together in management plans, he said.

One author of last year's paper suggesting two elephant species in Africa called the new work intriguing. The author, Alfred Roca of the National Cancer Institute ( news - web sites), also agreed that more work is needed before drawing any conclusions about whether the western elephants are a third species.

"West Africa has the most highly endangered elephant populations in Africa, and they share habitats that are increasingly fragmented and isolated with a host of critically endangered species," Roca said in an e-mail message. "This study highlights the urgent need for conservation measures on their behalf."

[Junior]

It's a crappy job, but someone has to do it.

[Junior]

Something light...

[camle]

recommend the following names:

hillarius maximus
rosieus fatticus
tedkius glubberus
algorus lunaticus

[Orual]

First it was velcro, now it's this. Science brings us unexpected rewards.

[ASA Vet]

more work is needed before drawing any conclusions about
whether the western elephants are a third species.

Would a Bull elephant from one group consider it "work"
to test the theory with a female from the other group?

[billorites]

When I saw this headline I thought of a blue dress.

[AAABEST]

Possible New Species of Elephant

It's called "Rino Governmentus"

[PatrickHenry]

To get DNA for the new study, Eggert sampled dung from western elephants in Ghana, the Ivory Coast and Mali, as well as from elephants in Cameroon.

"I love my work, sihib."

[camle]

oh and just what kind of sh!t are you pushing here:-)

[PatrickHenry]

It's a pic of Daschel's speechwriter.

[camle]

well, in that case it should be a familiar environment.

but I left out a name:

monicus fatlipicus

speakign of which did anyone notice that streisand seems to be working her way UP in tonnage?

[RightWhale]

streisand seems to be working her way UP in tonnage

Not unusual for someone of her advanced age. Happens to many of us, the good, the bad, AND the ugly.

[VadeRetro]

Are people supposed to lick those envelopes??

[camle]

Happens to many of us, the good, the bad, AND the ugly

well... in her case two outta three ain't bad, I reckon.

[Rebelbase]

I hope they take the research further and find a way to isolate the elephant's memory gene and make it transferable to humans, I'll take first dibs.

Gore is a has been and deserves to be ridiculed by the Dems...........wait.....what were we talking about?

[Orual]

Are people supposed to lick those envelopes??

They come pre-moistened by the expert in dung-licking. It's a job for which he is eminently qualified.

[WhiteGuy]

Wasn't this on an episode of "South Park"?

[VadeRetro]

That's a relief! For a while there, I thought it was the dumbest marketing gimmick I'd seen in forever.

[DWPittelli]

If you have to do DNA tests to see whether they're separate "species" then we've entered the realm of semantics and trivilization of the concept of saving species. It would be nice to save a population of elephants regardless of whether we might call them seperate species, but that doesn't mean some arbitrary "species" determination should have legal or moral weight. Even in the U.S., there is no exact species definition in the endangered species act, so the bogus "subspecies" concept has been pushed. Of course, if you push it too much, you might conclude that different races of humans are different species, which would certainly be morally problematic.

[DWPittelli]

If you have to do DNA tests to see whether they're separate "species" then we've entered the realm of semantics and trivilization of the concept of saving species. It would be nice to save a population of elephants regardless of whether we might call them seperate species, but that doesn't mean some arbitrary "species" determination should have legal or moral weight. Even in the U.S., there is no exact species definition in the endangered species act, so the bogus "subspecies" concept has been pushed. Of course, if you push it too much, you might conclude that different races of humans are different species, which would certainly be morally problematic.