Ivory Poaching and Natural Selection

Ivory poachers kill African elelphants for their tusks. A tuskless elephant would be of no interest to them. Mass poaching consequently appears to be driving the current evolution of the elephant (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/21/ivory-poaching-evolution-tuskless-elephants-study). A previously rare genetic mutation in female elephant in Garangosa Park in Mozambique, is spreading. The mutation results in the elephants being born without tusks. Not being targeted by poachers, seems to override any potential benefit derived from having tusks (in sexual selection, defence against predators and/or foraging). No tusks: no poachers!