How Elephants Drive Dung Beetle Coextinction: A Hidden Tipping Point in Ecological Networks

Ecologists have long theorized that the removal of highly connected species from ecological networks can trigger cascading effects, leading to widespread coextinction. However, empirical evidence supporting this idea has been limited. A recent study published in the journal Science provides experimental validation of this concept, demonstrating that elephants play a critical role in sustaining dung beetle biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide.

The study, led by Finote Gijsman, a 2026 Princeton University graduate in ecology, and her mentor Robert Pringle, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton, highlights the interconnectedness of species within savanna ecosystems. Elephants, as keystone species, influence their environments through their foraging, movement, and waste deposition. Dung beetles, which rely on elephant dung for survival, are particularly vulnerable to the loss of their primary resource.

Gijsman and her team conducted experiments in Kenya’s Mpala Research Centre, where they observed dung beetle populations in areas with and without elephants. The results revealed that the absence of elephants led to a significant decline in dung beetle diversity. While the exact percentage of decline was not specified in the primary sources, the study underscores the fragility of these interactions and the potential consequences of elephant population loss.

Dung beetles perform essential ecological functions, including soil aeration, nutrient cycling, and seed dispersal. By breaking down and burying dung,