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Source– The post is based on the article “Curious collage shows rhino horns are shrinking due to impact of hunting” published in The Hindu on 3rd November 2022.
Syllabus: GS3- Science and Technology
Relevance– Species evolution
News- The article explains the study published in the latest edition of People and Nature by the British Ecological Society related to decreasing length of horns of rhinos.
What has been found by the study?
It found evidence for declining horn length over time across species. It is perhaps related to the selective pressure of hunting.
Rate of decline in horn length was highest in the critically-endangered Sumatran rhino and lowest in the white rhino of Africa.
This observation follows patterns seen in other animals, such as tusk size in elephants and horn length in wild sheep.
What were the sources of study?
It relied on a repository of images maintained by the Netherlands-based Rhino Research Center (RRC).
It only included photographs where the animal was side-on to the camera to facilitate more accurate and repeatable measurements. It excluded photos of any individuals where the horn had been cut.
What are lessons from the study?
Online image repositories can offer a freely accessible, information-rich and cost-effective alternative to museum collections. It is useful for studying long-term changes in human interactions with nature and ecological and evolutionary change.
