Self-Domestication: Wild African Elephants

A new study suggests that wild African elephants may have domesticated themselves, a process previously identified in bonobos and humans. The researchers found that elephants, like bonobos and humans, are not very aggressive, play a lot, have a long childhood, and babysit each other's offspring. They also found that elephants have relatively short jawbones, a trait commonly seen in other domesticated animals. The study presents an "interesting idea" that helps "trigger new thoughts on how increased cooperativeness and reduced aggression has evolved," which could ultimately help us find ways to reduce aggression in humans. However, some experts are not convinced by the concept of self-domestication.