A 15-year field experiment in Kenya reveals that dung beetles—and the ecosystem services they provide—collapse when elephants disappear, offering evidence of coextinction in the wild.

A field experiment in Kenya shows that dung beetles disappear when the African elephants they depend on for their fecal food and shelter also vanish locally. This is the first time that coextinction,…

A field experiment in Kenya shows that dung beetles disappear when the African elephants they depend on for their fecal food and shelter also vanish locally.

Researchers in Kenya found that removing elephants from the landscape causes local extinction of dung beetles and a cascade of ecological harms.

Researchers in Kenya found that removing elephants from the landscape causes local extinction of dung beetles and a cascade of ecological harms.

(Posted 15th June 2026)   Courtesy of African Elephant News David Brown, Mongabay (U.S), June 11, 2026 A field experiment in Kenya shows that dung beetles disappear when the African elephants they depend on for their fecal food and shelter also vanish locally. This is the first time that coextinction, the disappearance of one […]

(Posted 15th June 2026)   Courtesy of African Elephant News David Brown, Mongabay (U.S), June 11, 2026 A field experiment in Kenya shows that dung beetles disappear when the African elephants they dep...

Researchers in Kenya found that removing elephants from the landscape causes local extinction of dung beetles and a cascade of ecological harms.

Researchers in Kenya found that removing elephants from the landscape causes local extinction of dung beetles and a cascade of ecological harms.

Newswise — For decades, ecologists have theorized that the extinction of one important species could set off a chain reaction of losses throughout an ecosystem. Now, new research offers some of the clearest real-world evidence that this idea of coextinction is not just theoretical. The study, led by Princeton University doctoral student Finote Gijsman and co-authored by University of Florida Professor Todd Palmer Ph.D., found that African elephants function as a keystone species for dung beetles across Kenya’s savannas. When elephants were removed from experimental landscapes, dung beetle populations collapsed, along with critical ecological functions those insects provide. “So, losing elephants doesn't just mean losing elephants,” Palmer said. “It means losing a significant fraction of dung beetle diversity and the ecosystem functions that go with them.” Palmer and his collaborators published their study May 28 in the journal Science. Dung beetles may not receive the same attention as elephants, but they play a major role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. By feeding on and burying animal dung, the insects recycle nutrients, disperse seeds, improve soil quality and suppress parasites. According to the study, the value of these services to the U.S. and U.K. cattle industries alone is estimated at roughly...

Researchers in Kenya found that removing elephants from the landscape causes local extinction of dung beetles and a cascade of ecological harms.

Researchers in Kenya found that removing elephants from the landscape causes local extinction of dung beetles and a cascade of ecological harms.

Ecologists theorize that removing highly connected species from ecological networks will trigger waves of coextinction, but empirical evidence is scant. We show that elephants are central to a general...

A 15-year field experiment in Kenya reveals that dung beetles—and the ecosystem services they provide—collapse when elephants disappear, offering evidence of coextinction in the wild.

A 15-year field experiment in Kenya reveals that dung beetles—and the ecosystem services they provide—collapse when elephants disappear, offering evidence of coextinction in the wild.

A 15-year field experiment in Kenya reveals that dung beetles—and the ecosystem services they provide—collapse when elephants disappear, offering evidence of coextinction in the wild.

A 15-year field experiment in Kenya reveals that dung beetles—and the ecosystem services they provide—collapse when elephants disappear, offering evidence of coextinction in the wild.

Ecologists theorize that removing highly connected species from ecological networks will trigger waves of coextinction, but empirical evidence is scant. We show that elephants are central to a general...

Ecologists theorize that removing highly connected species from ecological networks will trigger waves of coextinction, but empirical evidence is scant. We show that elephants are central to a general...

Ecologists theorize that removing highly connected species from ecological networks will trigger waves of coextinction, but empirical evidence is scant. We show that elephants are central to a general...

Ecologists theorize that removing highly connected species from ecological networks will trigger waves of coextinction, but empirical evidence is scant. We show that elephants are central to a general...

Elephants are keystone species that sustain savannah ecosystems. A long-term study in East Africa has reported that dung beetles depend heavily on elephant dung. Following a 15-year field experiment, researchers concluded that beetle species richness dropped by 23%, and total beetle biomass fell by 51% sans elephant dung. Smaller herbivores, like cattle or zebras, could not fill the gap. The elephants’ decline thus triggers a coextinction cascade that slowed dung decomposition and reduced seed dispersal. Rice paper can be modified to recover e-waste gold Researchers have found a way to use rice paper to recover gold from electronic waste. They modified the starch-based food material using a chemical process called hydrazination, which created a porous structure on the paper that quickly and selectively pulled gold from complex liquids, including dissolved CPU waste. It works by attracting gold ions and reducing them into solid gold nanoparticles on the paper’s surface. Finally, the paper can be burnt to retrieve pure metallic gold. Sea cucumber tissue lives on for years without decaying Tissues from the sea cucumber can survive and grow independently for years. When scientists removed body parts like tube feet and tentacles and placed them in natural seawater, instead of decaying,...

The potential impact of bat species extinction on the number of their ectoparasitic fly species, based on interaction data for Brazil. As bat host species are removed over time, more connected specie...