Ancient DNA shakes up the elephant family tree
Straight-tusked elephants were more closely related to African, not Asian, species
![illustration of a straight-tusked elephant](https://i0.wp.com/www.sciencenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/061217_MT_elephant-evolution_main_FREE.jpg?fit=859%2C460&ssl=1)
ELEPHANT ANCESTRY The first DNA analysis of straight-tusked elephants (illustrated) finds they are most closely related to modern African forest elephants, suggesting the extinct animals have been lumped in with the wrong elephant lineage for decades.
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