Exploring Tusklessness in African Elephants

What percentage of female African elephants normally have tusks?

• More than 90%

• About 50%

• Around 75%

• Less than 10%

Why are tuskless females more common in areas with a history of poaching?

• Tuskless elephants are more aggressive

• Elephants voluntarily shed their tusks

• Natural selection favors tusklessness

• It is a random genetic mutation

What are elephant tusks modified from?

• Teeth

• Bones

• Cartilage

• Horns

Approximately how many genes are involved in human tooth development?

• Around 500

• Less than 100

• Over 1000

• About 300

What is the main purpose of sequencing elephant DNA?

• To find genetic differences related to tusk development

• To increase elephant population

• To create genetically modified elephants

• To study elephant behavior

What does finding genes involved in tooth development in elephants suggest?

• A link to tusk development

• No relation to tusks

• Elephants will evolve to have more teeth

• Elephants are related to humans

How does the prevalence of tuskless genes change due to poaching?

• It decreases

• It increases

• It remains the same

• It fluctuates unpredictably

What was the age of the elephant matriarch mentioned in the study?

• 50 years old

• 75 years old

• 65 years old

• 80 years old

What significant event did the elephant matriarch survive?

• A 15-year period where 90% of her species died

• A severe drought

• A major earthquake

• A forest fire

What personal significance did the project have for the researcher?

• Learning about genetics

• Meeting new colleagues

• Visiting Africa for the first time

• Winning a research award