African elephant genomes reveal a past of continental connectivity and a future of increasing isolation

In the largest genomic mapping of Africa's elephants to date, an international team of researchers shows that elephant history is defined by the ability to move across large distances and exchange genes throughout the African continent. But as the elephants' living space is becoming increasingly patchy, the study documents the visible genetic consequences of isolation—and points to approaches that help to incorporate genomics into current and future elephant conservation.