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Giant prehistoric tusk found in Greece

ATHENS: A startling discovery of two massive prehistoric tusks — possibly the largest ever found in the world — could prove to be a “gold mine” for scientists seeking clues into Europe’s past, say Greek and Dutch researchers excavating the site in northern Greece.

The petrified remains of a Mastodon — a primitive elephant-like creature — with tusks measuring up to five metres long, were found in an area where excavations have uncovered the remains of several prehistoric animals over the past decade. The research team said it was the largest tusk ever found from the primitive ancestor of the elephant. “To find a tusk five meters long, that was a big surprise,” Evangelia Tsoukala, Assistant Professor of Geology at the University of Thessaloniki, said.

The second tusk found at the site near the village of Milia, 430 km north of Athens, measured 4.6 metres.

“That’s absolutely astonishing. This is a fantastic find,” said Dave Martill, a paleontologist at the University of Portsmouth in England, an independent expert not connected with the excavation.

“These animals, in their bones, hold a whole load of information about the environment at the time — not just the animal,” Martill said. Because the tusks have “growth rings in them and you can analyze each individual layer and pick up signals about seasonality and climate. These offer fantastic potential for studying not just the animals themselves but ancient climates.”

Tsoukala led a team which excavated the two tusks from the same animal, together with leg bones and its upper and lower jaw still bearing teeth. “It’s a very significant find because with these sections of the skeleton we can draw conclusions about this animal and its development,” she said. — AP

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