Though cancer in elephants is rare, it does sometimes occur – more often in Asian elephants than in the 2 species of elephants found in Africa. This fascinating study by ACE members published May 2021 in Molecular Biology and Evolution explains why, and makes clear the link between cancer and infectious disease susceptibility in these animals.
Elephant Genomes Reveal Accelerated Evolution in Mechanisms Underlying Disease Defenses.
Photo credit: Skip Brown, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
