Fossils of ancient elephant discovered in eastern China (4)

A unit of elephant fossils from 50,000 years ago were discovered in eastern China's Jiangsu province when locals began to prepare a patch of land for building.

Zou Songmei, a geological researcher, said that, judging from stratum, the ancient elephant lived around 50,000 years ago. Most parts of the fossils are well preserved with the exception of the ribs. According to Zou, the elephant may have been longer than 6 meters, and the length of its tusks were around 2 meters. This species of elephant lived in eastern China and Japan. Experts think they are cousins of the modern Asian elephant.

Bones of the ancient elephant were scattered around a 200-square-meter area. Experts said that the animal might have been eaten by larger animals after its death. The fossils were found in an old riverbed, so it’s also possible that its bones were separated due to the current.