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Princeton scientists identify first experimental evidence of a 'co-extinction' connection: Without elephants, dung beetles disappear
- Elephants' disappearance led to a 67% drop in dung beetle abundance and a 23% loss of species in exclosures.
- The study provides experimental evidence of co-extinction, linking large mammals to dependent invertebrates.
- Exclosures at Mpala Research Centre allowed researchers to compare ecosystems with and without elephants over decades.
- Dung beetles contribute to soil aeration, nutrient cycling and seed dispersal, highlighting their ecological importance.
- The findings emphasize the issue of ecosystem services loss when keystone species vanish.
- The research combined molecular techniques, DNA barcoding and classic fieldwork for robust findings.
- The study strengthens the link between elephant presence and maintenance of dung beetle biodiversity.
- The Science paper documents that elephants influence dung beetle diversity and ecosystem functions.
- Researchers found that some dung beetles adapt to the absence of elephants by using dung from smaller animals.
- The research team included Finote Gijsman, Ciara M. Nutter and Robert Pringle among others.
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