A farmer in France uncovered a rare proboscide skull, long lost to science, after two years of secrecy.
Rare fossil discovery in France
In July 2018, the Toulouse Museum of Natural History announced that a farmer from Haute-Garonne had handed over the complete skull of a proboscide, a cousin of the elephant that disappeared several million years ago. Paleontologists had previously only known this species through a few teeth collected in the same area approximately 150 years ago.Skull remained hidden for years
The skull of this four-tusked proboscide remained on a farm for two years before joining public collections. The farm is located in the southwest of Haute-Garonne, near L'Isle-en-Dodon, about 60 kilometers from Toulouse. The farmer discovered bones there in 2014, initially without realizing their value.Fossils found in rural areas
These rural areas have yielded fossils since the 19th century. The farmer then feared the arrival of hunters for souvenirs on his land and remained silent. The man eventually contacted the museum two years later. Pierre Dalous, the museum's curator, went to the site in 2017 with his team.Skull transported carefully
They wrapped the block in a plaster shell and transported this several-hundred-kilogram skull to their workshop. Two blades attached to the lower jaw were used to dig the ground.
