Ancient Elephant Fossil Discovered on Island of Sicily
Scientists recently unveiled the discovery of an ancient elephant fossil on the island of Sicily. According to experts, the elephant has been found to have shrunk rapidly over a million years due to the constraints of the island environment.
Over a century ago, in the late 19th century, researchers found the bones of an ancient elephant in Sicily near Syracuse. After analyzing the DNA within the bones, scientists have been able to construct a picture of how this animal may have looked, now displayed in a new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History, in NYC.
These ancient elephants are said to have evolved from a common elephant ancestor, known as the straight-tusked elephant. This ancient elephant, which roamed Sicily about 200,000 years ago, weighed about 1.7 tons and was approximately 6.5 feet tall.
Researchers believe that the extreme evolution and shrinking of this ancient elephant happened rapidly, over the course of a million years. The elephant’s rapid evolution is especially shocking evolutionary standards.
One group of giant straight-tusked elephants moved to Sicily about 200,000 years ago, and when the land masses began to break off or separate due to sea level change, elephant species began evolving in different ways.
According to Ross MacPhee, the curator of the AMNH’s Secret World of Elephants, species that move from mainland areas to islands typically have to adapt to very different environments and end up evolving vastly different traits. Evolving into a smaller species that can survive on less food makes sense in island conditions.
Understanding cases like the Sicilian dwarf elephant helps scientists better understand evolution as a whole, as it’s a constant fight for survival.