I don't know if this is true or not but if it is it would be because they are mating with the ones that survive, ie the tuskless ones, not that they choose to be with them. Something called "natural selection"
Don't think that reasoning is right. The only way a gene is able to continue on is if the animal was born that way originally. If I get my arm cut off, I'm not going to have a child with one arm. But if I'm born with only one, I may pass that gene on to the next generation.
Some elephants have more tusks than others because of genes. After the poachers come through, only the elephants that have the genes for short tusks are alive and available to breed.
When grim said tuskless elephants, they were probably refered to animals born due to genetic mutation without tusk, not to those pouched.
That said, I highly doubt that said mutation, if existing, would spread quickly enough as to be considered an evolution.
Furthermore, female elephants still prefer to breed with tusked elephants, so the sexual selection would be an important factor. Thus, the NS should be important enough to overcome the SS, and it might extinct the species
That said, I highly doubt that said mutation, if existing, would spread quickly enough as to be considered an evolution.
Furthermore, female elephants still prefer to breed with tusked elephants, so the sexual selection would be an important factor. Thus, the NS should be important enough to overcome the SS, and it might extinct the species