Elephant skull found in India adds a piece to the evolutionary puzzle

Let's dig into the past, where around two decades ago, a giant fossil skull of an extinct elephant was discovered in the pristine terrains of the northern Indian Kashmir Valley.

This remarkable finding would soon send shockwaves through scientific communities. It would not just tell us more about this extinct elephant, but would also shine a light on a dimly lit chapter in elephant evolutionary history.

Discovering the elephant skull

Dr. Ghulam Bhat from the University of Jammu led a team of experts in excavating the elephant skull. It was found lying in unison with 87 stone tools, possibly used by prehistoric humans, providing an eerie testimony to human- elephant interactions of the bygone era.

Recently, scientists from around the globe embarked on a quest to unravel the secrets locked in the Kashmir skull.

The team included experts from the Florida Museum of Natural History, the British Museum, the University of York, and the Natural History Museum.

Dr. Steven Zhang, a paleontologist in the Department of Geosciences and Geography at the University of Helsinki, also participated in the study.

"From the general shape of the skull, it's quite apparent that the elephant belonged to Palaeoloxodon, or straight-tusked elephants, among the largest land mammals that ever lived," said Dr. Zhang. "Full-grown adults easily stood around 4m tall at the shoulder and weighed 9-10 tons."

Tree of elephant evolution

However, the skull's lack of a thickened, forward-projecting crest, a feature typical of other Palaeoloxodon skulls found in India, left the scientists intrigued.

In recent times, the extent of this crest's development among different Palaeoloxodon species and their relative position on the elephant evolution tree has sparked controversy.

However, some findings hint at the crest becoming more pronounced with developmental and sexual maturity.

Majestic elephant skull

"From the size, the wisdom teeth and a few other telltale features of the skull, it is evident that the animal was a majestic bull elephant in the prime of its life, but the lack of a well-developed skull crest, particularly in comparison with other mature male skulls from Europe and from India, tells us we have a different species on our hands here," noted Dr. Zhang.

The research team, unperturbed by the lack of the prominent skull crest, turned their attention to an obscure skull discovered in Turkmenistan during the 1950s, which was thought to represent a distinct species, Palaeoloxodon turkmenicus.

Distinct species with a broad distribution

"What's always been puzzling about the Turkmen skull is that, besides the lack of a prominent crest at the skull roof, its other features are highly similar to the already well-known European species, P. antiquus," said Dr. Zhang.

"And this led a number of experts to suggest that the Turkmen specimen is simply an aberrant individual of the European species."

However, when the Kashmir skull was uncovered, the theory of a distinct species with a broad distribution became more plausible.

"But with the Kashmir skull added to the mix, it becomes clear now that the two specimens can be theorized to represent a distinct species that we previously knew very little about, with a broad distribution from Central Asia to the northern Indian Subcontinent," noted Dr. Advait Jukar, the study's lead author who is currently based at the Florida Museum of Natural History .

Dating the elephant skull

Using advanced techniques to measure protein decomposition in the tooth enamel of the Kashmir Palaeoloxodon skull, the experts dated the skull to the Middle Pleistocene period, around 300,000–400,000 years ago.

An analysis of the stone tools found alongside the elephant remains further bolstered their conclusion. This age estimate matched that of the Turkmen skull, further strengthening the theory that these two skulls represent a unique species distinct from the other Eurasian Palaeoloxodon.

Deeper investigations revealed that Palaeoloxodon first evolved in Africa about a million years ago, presenting a narrow, convex forehead and slight underdevelopment of the skull crest.

The later Palaeoloxodon, best known from fossils discovered in Europe and India, sported a very wide, flattened forehead often associated with a thick crest that jutted forward from the roof of the skull.

Missing link in elephant evolution

The researchers concluded that with a wide, flat forehead and only a faint trace of a skull crest, the P. turkmenicus species might represent a missing link in our understanding of how these enormous prehistoric megaherbivores evolved.

So, there you have it - a thrilling saga of scientific sleuthing and discovery. The story of the mysterious extinct elephant skull unfolds, promising to unlock further secrets and deepen our understanding of the epic journey of elephant evolution.

The study is published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology .

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