9-million-year-old elephant bones unearthed in Türkiye's Cankiri

Excavations in Cankiri, north-central Türkiye, have uncovered the bones of an elephant ancestor that lived approximately 9 million years ago.

The site, known as the "Corakyerler Vertebrate Fossil Site" along the Cankiri-Yaprakli highway, has been the focus of 27 years of continuous excavation.

Led by Professor Ayla Sevim Erol from Ankara University’s Faculty of Language, History, and Geography, the team has unearthed 4,320 nearly complete fossils from 43 different species, including the ancestors of horses, elephants, giraffes, saber-toothed cats, otters, porcupines, bears, and pig-like creatures.

A similar number of unidentified fossils have also been recovered.

In early July this year, the excavation team uncovered bones of elephant ancestors, estimated to be 9 million years old, alongside numerous other remains.

Erol explained that Corakyerler is a rich site for vertebrate fossils, yielding skeletal remains of both small and large animals.

She noted that they had previously found fossils of 43 different species in the region.

"Currently, we are excavating the upper arm and foot bones of an elephant. Specifically, the upper arm bone has been uncovered. This year, we have found many elephant skeletons."

"There are two different types of elephant ancestors in Corakyerler: one is a larger species of the genus 'Konobelodon,' and the other is a smaller species of the genus 'Choerolophodon.' The upper arm bone we have found belongs to the larger elephant species," she said.

As the excavation season nears its end, Erol noted that earlier dating placed the area at around 8 million years old. Still, newly discovered species with more primitive features indicate some samples date back to 9 million years.

Next year, a Turkish dating expert from Spain will conduct uranium-potassium dating to provide more precise dating of the site.