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Evolution of Tusklessness in African Elephants

Author(s): Jennifer Buntz1, Jessica Ross2, Tony Weisstein3, Heather Zimbler-DeLorenzo4

1. Central New Mexico Community College 2. Midwood High School 3. Truman State University 4. Georgia State University Perimeter Colllege

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Summary:
The exploitation of African elephants in the form of ivory poaching is exacerbated by warfare. The affects of this anthropogenic evolutionary force on the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) in the Gorongoas National Park in Mozambique…

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The exploitation of African elephants in the form of ivory poaching is exacerbated by warfare. The affects of this anthropogenic evolutionary force on the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) in the Gorongoas National Park in Mozambique was investigated (Campbell-Staton, et. al. 2021) after the Mozambican civil war (1997-1992).  This multipart lesson is based on this research.  Here, we explore allele frequencies, phenotypic data, and the use of a chi-squared test to determine if the population is in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.  Because one gene influencing tusklessness is X-linked, we also explore inheritance of the trait, using hemophilia as an example.  The data used in this part of the lesson are simulated data based on reports from Zambia.

Licensed under CC Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International according to these terms

Version 1.0 - published on 17 Aug 2022 doi:10.25334/7ZBJ-CV04 - cite this

Keywords

  1. Hardy-Weinberg
  2. chi-squared
  3. Evolution
  4. Exponents
  5. Ratios
  6. percents
  7. elephants
  8. Gorongosa National Park
  9. Africa
  10. qbcc
  11. Understanding fractions
  12. Solving Equations and Inequalities
  13. Concepts in Statistics
  14. using statistics
  15. tusk & tuskless
  16. Ivory poaching
  17. Fractions and Mixed Numbers
  18. Decimals

Alignments

  1. Resource Type
  2. Audience Level
  3. Activity Length
  4. Inclusive Pedagogy for Life Science Education
  5. Open Science and Education Practices Ontology
Contents:
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Description

This activity is divided into sections that can be taught together as one large class/lab activity or divided into sections that can be selected based on the level of the students or interest of the class. 

 

We suggest that this activity be taught using Part 1 (Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium) and Part 2 (Chi-Square).  Part 3 takes the second video of the Pre-Class Activity and has students apply the Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium using the newly published genetic information about tusklessness.  It begins by starting with a sample example using hemophilia and moving on to tusklessness.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  1. Be able to explain how natural selection produces change in populations within the context of tuskless elephants.
  2. Calculate allele frequencies in a population given phenotypic data.
  3. Calculate expected genotype frequencies given the allele frequencies.
  4. Use a chi-squared test to determine whether a population is in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.
  5. Calculate allele frequencies for a population using sex linked traits.
  6. Be able to explain how sex-linked traits affect evolution of characteristics differently.

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