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A12 science
Monday 7 SepteMber 2020
Once seen as loners, male elephants shown to follow elders

By CHRISTINA LARSON she said.
AP Science Writer When several young or-
WASHINGTON (AP) — A phaned male elephants
line of elephants trundles were introduced into a park
across a dusty landscape in Pilanesberg, South Africa,
in northern Botswana, ears in the mid-1990s, the young
flapping and trunks oc- males were extremely ag-
casionally brushing the gressive and killed 40 white
ground. As they pass a mo- rhinoceros. But their behav-
tion-activated camera hid- ior was moderated after six
den in low shrubbery, pho- older male elephants were
tos record the presence of added to the park.
each elephant. "In some way, the older
What's special about this males created order, and
group? It's only males. all that pandemonium was
Female elephants are quelled," said Carl Safina,
known to form tight family an ecologist at Stony Brook
groups led by experienced University, who was not in-
matriarchs. Males were volved in the new study.
long assumed to be loners, "We're still learning about
because they leave their how male elephants ac-
mother's herd when they quire their cultural under-
reach 10 to 20 years of age. standing of how to act,
A new study shows that In this 2016 photo provided by researcher Connie Allen, a young adolescent African elephant whom to defer to, and
teenage males aren't anti- stands next to an older bull in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in Botswana. where resources like food
Associated Press
social after all. Younger and water sources are lo-
male elephants were seen savannah elephants trav- who was not involved in of African savannah ele- cated."
tagging along behind old- eling toward the Boteti the new study. phants. A 2019 paper used Because of their larger size
er males as they travel from River in 2017 and 2018. They "In human societies, grand- motion-activated cameras and longer tusks, mature
place to place. It's more found that younger males parents are valued be- to describe similar male male elephants are most
evidence in an emerg- seldom traveled alone and cause they make really group dynamics among often targeted by poach-
ing body of research that older males most often led important contributions — Asian elephants. ers and legal trophy hunt-
shows older males — like groups of mixed ages. helping with childcare and Scientists have long known ers in Africa.
their female counterparts "Mature male elephants of- passing down knowledge more about breeding herds But future conservation
— play an important role ten take a position at the gained over decades," of female elephants, said strategies should take into
in elephants' complex so- front of the line when they she said. "We're now learn- Connie Allen, a biologist at account the mentorship
ciety. are leading the group" to ing this pattern is also true the University of Exeter and role that older males play,
For the study published streams or seasonal grazing for some other long-lived a co-author of the new pa- said Allen, the study co-
Thursday in the journal Sci- grounds, said Diana Reiss, mammals, including dol- per. "But males also have author. "Males are more
entific Reports, researchers director of the Animal Be- phins, whales and ele- multifaceted social lives, enigmatic. But it turns out
analyzed photos of 1,264 havior and Conservation phants." and their groupings aren't they aren't such loners," she
sightings of male African Program at Hunter College, This is the first such study only shaped by kinship ties," said.q

U.S. agency posts online map to track autonomous vehicle tests

The map is a pilot program Colorado; Jacksonville and "In the best case scenario
that now shows testing in Orlando, Florida; Phoe- this will be a map identify-
17 cities across the nation, nix; Pittsburgh; Salt Lake ing only those manufac-
and the safety agency says City, Park City, Lehi and St. turers who choose to par-
it will grow as companies George, Utah; San Francis- ticipate. In the worst case
submit more information. co and Washington, D.C. it will be a collage of un-
"The more information the So far 10 companies in nine reliable data masquerad-
public has about the on- states have signed up to ing as proof of safety with
road testing of automated be in the map pilot project. a veneer of respectability
driving systems, the more But at present, that's only a provided by NHTSA's implic-
they will understand the fraction of the companies it endorsement," said Jason
development of this prom- that are testing. In Califor- Levine, executive director
ising technology," Deputy nia alone, more than 60 of the nonprofit Center for

In this Dec. 18, 2018 file photo, one of the test vehicles from Argo NHTSA Administrator James companies have applied Auto Safety.
AI, Ford's autonomous vehicle unit, navigates through the strip Owens said in a statement. to test autonomous vehi- The government, he said,
district near the company offices in Pittsburgh. But critics say the map re- cles on public roads. should collect standard-
Associated Press lies solely on information The agency said compa- ized, comparable data
By TOM KRISHER The U.S. National Highway that's voluntarily submitted nies have flexibility in the from all automated vehicle
AP Auto Writer Traffic Safety Administration by companies and has no type of information they companies so the public
DETROIT (AP) — If you've on Wednesday launched requirements to show safe- disclose, prompting critics can compare one com-
ever seen one of those its autonomous vehicle on- ty data. Cities with data to say the companies could pany's safety record with
self-driving vehicles with line tracking tool, a map available on the map in- leave out critical data such another. "Even this minimal
strange equipment on the that shows some of the clude Austin and Dallas, as the number of crashes or level of neutrality and over-
roof and wondered where places where the vehicles Texas; Columbus, Ohio; how often human backup sight has proven too much
it's going, then there's a are being tested on public Detroit and Milford, Michi- drivers are forced to take for NHTSA," he said in a
website for you. roads. gan; Denver and Golden, control of the vehicles. statement.q