Despite their differences in appearance and behavior, Namibian desert and savanna elephants share the same DNA. However, those in the desert are capable of adapting to other environments and transmitting knowledge to future generations to survive, which raises the need to protect their populations. “The ability of some species such as elephants to learn and change their behavior implies that genetic changes are not as important in their case to be able to adapt to other environments. Behavioral changes allow these species to expand their habitats and occupy environments very different from those where they were initially developed “. So says Alfred Roca, professor of Animal Sciences and member of the Woese Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois, who has led a study on these large African mammals published in the journal Ecology and Evolution .
Specifically, the elephants of Namibia have known how to anticipate the heating and avoid excess heat by covering their bodies with sand moistened by their own urine or with water regurgitated from a kind of bag capable of containing quite a few liters lodged under their tongue. They also memorize and remember the location of the scarce sources of water and food resources in a much larger strip of territory than that of other elephant populations. Furthermore, they play a crucial role in these arid ecosystems by creating paths and digging holes to find water.
The study, which has compared the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of desert elephants with that of other elephants, shows that their genetics do not differ particularly from those of the savannah, with the exception of the elephant population of the Caprivi Strip. a narrow ledge about 450 km long in Namibia, located east of the Okavango region and bordered by the Okavango, Kwando, Chobe and Zambezi rivers.
Female elephants live in closed clans of matriarchal family groups , so mutations in mitochondrial DNA, which are passed from mothers to their descendants, are closely linked to geographic occupation. Hence, the genetics of the elephants in the Caprivi Strip are very similar to that of the neighboring regions of Botswana and Zimbabwe.
For Yasuko Ishida, Animal Sciences researcher in Illinois and participant in the study, “the results we have obtained and the historical records suggest that the great capacity for learning and migrations over long distances have enabled Namibian elephants to change habitats. , adapt and survive despite climatic variations and hunting pressure “.
The genetic uniformity between the populations, with the aforementioned exception of the Caprivi Strip, seems consistent with the migratory movements of these animals during the Namibian War of Independence, which increased the threats from hunters. It can also be attributed to the long distances covered in their migrations, the extent of their habitats, the increase in their populations in recent times, and the habit of males to mate with various groups of females. Roca suggests that these elephants should receive special protection, since their ability and knowledge to function in the desert is crucial for future generations of their species in arid environments, as forecasts point to the pressure of hunting and climate warming. they will not stop increasing in the next decades.
