(NEW Publication) The hidden consequences of elephant extinction

Large mammalian herbivores are important keystone species that are increasingly threatened by hunting and global environmental change. Their loss can trigger cascading impacts on other organisms that rely on them, including dung beetles—ecologically important insects rely on the feces of larger animals for feeding and nesting. By processing and burying dung, dung beetles also contribute towards multiple ecosystem services, including nutrient recycling and seed dispersal.

Science Perspective: The hidden consequences of elephant extinction. Lewis & Slade (2026).

In this Science Perspective, 'The hidden consequences of elephant extinction' we expound on the interactions between dung beetles and larger mammals, focusing on the study by Gijsman et al. 2026 that highlights the keystone role of African elephants and their effects on dung beetles in savanna ecosystems. Through a series of field, simulation and exclosure experiments, Gijsman et al. reconstructed dung beetle-large herbivore networks and demonstrated that the absence of elephants led to substandtial declines in dung beetle communities and the ecosystem services they provide.

Similarly, our research on dung beetle-mammal networks in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo has shown that the loss of multiple mammal species would result in highly simplified, less resilient ecological networks that are more vulnerable to environmental impacts. We further emphasise the importance of using environmental DNA approaches to generate high-quality networks based on direct feeding interactions, rather than networks derived from attraction to different dung types.

Our Perspective article is available here: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aei2362