(ORDO NEWS) — Biologist Lee Perry-Gal from the Israel Antiquities Authority found a well-preserved elephant tusk 2.6 meters long and about 20 cm in diameter in southern Israel, he reported his find in the magazine Haaretz.
The tusk has not yet been fully recovered, so archaeologists do not know what species the elephant belonged to.
But scientists believe that it may be a straight-tusked forest elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus).
This species inhabited the territory of Europe and Western Asia from 800 to 400 thousand years ago and served as food for human ancestors.
The growth of representatives of this species usually exceeded 4 m, and the weight reached 15 tons. This explains the huge size of the find.
The researchers suggest that the elephant, which had a giant tusk, could also become the prey of Homo Erectus, whose tribes at that time inhabited the territory of the Levant – the area where Israel, Syria and other countries of the eastern Mediterranean are now located.
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