A prehistoric elephant tooth found in Israel reveals a lost ecosystem from the Middle Pleistocene, offering rare insight into ancient landscapes shared by humans and megafauna.
Dental remains reveal ancient ecosystem
Dental remains of a prehistoric elephant, discovered in northern Israel alongside stone tools, offer insight into a lost ecosystem from the Middle Pleistocene era. The find was made at the Gesher Benot Ya'aqov site in the Jordan Valley, where the tooth was surrounded by basalt bifaces—stone tools used by early humans.Identification of the elephant species
Researchers from the University of Haifa identified the tooth as belonging to Palaeoloxodon antiquus, the largest terrestrial mammal of the Pleistocene. Analysis of the tooth's structure, including its lamellar frequency and hypsodont index, confirms it as a distinct species, separate from mammoths.Diet and environment reconstruction
Carbon isotopes in the enamel suggest the elephant consumed C3 vegetation, typical of wooded and well-watered environments. The consistency of these isotopes over time implies the animal remained in a similar habitat for years, indicating a stable ecosystem.Movement and habitat clues
Oxygen isotopes in the tooth show a significant decrease from the surface to the root, suggesting the elephant may have moved along the Jordan River. Additional micro-wear patterns on the tooth provide further details about its feeding habits and the environment it inhabited.
