Elephants, according to research shows many characteristics of pets. This is also reflected in their anatomy, physiology, behavior and even genetic adaptations. Domestication causes profound changes in animals, including decreased aggression, increased sociability, infantilism, and preservation of infantile traits in adulthood. In cats, for example, this process takes place without direct human intervention or artificial selection.

What the study shows

Scientists led by Limor Raviv of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics identified 19 behavioral, cognitive and physiological traitsare shared by humans, bonobos, and elephants, but not by other animals. Elephants are very social and care for the offspring of other members of their group, showing grief when a member of the group dies. It turned out that elephants’ jawbones shrink over time, and blood cortisol levels increase in response to socially difficult situations.

The researchers also analyzed the genome of African savanna elephants, identifying 674 genes that had changed rapidly over the past millennium. They compared the DNA of 261 mammalian species and identified the genes that changed in domesticated species, and found that 80 of the fastest-growing elephant genes overlapped with “domestication genes.”

Why is this important?

The study’s authors argue that all these features clearly indicate that elephants are going through a process of “self-domestication,” despite their limited and rare contact with humans.

The results of the study shed light on the mysterious process of domestication and the reasons and benefits of this adaptation that are still not fully understood. Understanding this process can provide implications for animal conservation and help scientists better understand the evolution of domesticated animals and humans.