African elephants adopting surrogate relatives to replace those killed by poachers

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/science/sciencenews/5827385/Afri\

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html>African

elephants adopting surrogate relatives to replace those killed by

poachersElephants

in Africa are forming new family groups with members of other herds after

their numbers were decimated by poachers who hunt them for their ivory

tusks.By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent

Published: 7:00AM BST 15 Jul 2009

 

Elephants have historically lived in separate herds and do not mix with

others that have no genetic link to them – but for the first time different

herds have been seen to be joining together.

 

The unlikely alliance is helping them survive after decades of illegal

killings have threatened the existence of the species.

 

A study of 900 elephants in the Samburu game reserve in north Kenya by

scientists who observed them for five years identified the phenomenon.

 

The biologist Dr George Wittemyer, whose findings are published in

Proceedings of the Royal Society B, said: " The maintenance of elephant

social complexity in the face of human pressures speaks to the importance of

both family and friends in this species. "

 

Wild elephants form matriarchal family groups which travel, forage for food,

and socialise together, producing one of the most complex social

organisations found among animals.

 

They maintain a hierarchical structure similar to that of humans with

families nested within extended families, within clans.

 

Dr Wittemyer, of Colorado State University, said: " Such relationships are

typically genetically based. Among the Samburu elephants, however, the

genetic underpinnings have been eroded by high degrees of illegal killing.

 

" Despite this human driven pruning of their social tree, these elephants

formed novel bonds with non-relatives to rebuild the nested structure. "

 

Dr Wittemyer says elephant society is organised as a matriarchy, with a core

group of maybe ten animals led by the eldest resident female.

 

That core group is together virtually all the time, travelling over

considerable distances, stopping to dig water holes, looking for fresh

foliage to uproot and devour.

 

" This hierarchical complexity is rare among animals and, as such, an

examination of the factors driving its emergence offers unique insight into

the evolution of social behaviour, " said Dr Wittemyer.

 

The Samburu elephant population suffered exceptionally high rates of

poaching during the 1970s, when the population is purported to have fallen

by about 85 per cent.

 

Dr Wittemyer said: " The well defined hierarchical structure found in Samburu

was not strictly genetically based, with non relatives comprising groups

across social tiers.

 

" As the maintenance of elephant hierarchical sociality does not necessitate

genetic underpinnings, direct benefits can be surmised to be substantive

forces driving the formation of complex, hierarchical social structure among

elephants. "

 

 

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