Several gomphotheres died in or near a river in prehistoric Florida about 5.5 million years ago.
They need to examine the recent finds more thoroughly, but the team believes the adult was incredibly tall, about eight feet, and its skull was almost nine feet long, including the tusks.The gomphotheres were initially discovered in the spring of 2022 and were meticulously excavated by experts and trained volunteers over the course of several months.
As per the researchers, temperatures and sea levels were higher during this time period than they are now. Additionally, the Montbrook site is a treasure trove of ancient fossils due to a large number of animal remains, including those of camels, rhinoceroses, and turtles, that have been recovered.Gomphotheres were among the most diverse proboscideans and spread to nearly every continent during their 20 million-year reign.
It is likely that gomphotheres were “waiting on the shoreline” to cross into South America when the Isthmus of Panama sea level rose 2.7 million years ago. “We all generally know what mastodons and woolly mammoths looked like, but gomphotheres aren’t nearly as easy to categorize,” Narducci said. “They had a variety of body sizes, and the shape of their tusks differed widely between species.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
North Texas city among several to run suspected serial killer out of town after prison releaseAustin police believe 62-year-old Raul Meza may be responsible for a dozen murders, but he’s no stranger to law enforcement.
Read more »
King Ezran Activates an Ancient Beacon in New 'The Dragon Prince' Season 5 ClipKatolis' heroes will once again embark on a perilous adventure when the series returns for Season 5 in July.
Read more »
A California Man Unknowingly Discovers an Ancient Mastodon Tooth While Running on the BeachJim Smith discovered what his rare find was when he saw it pop up on the news.
Read more »
Ancient mastodon tooth fossil found on Santa Cruz County beachWho said the tooth fairy doesn’t deliver? Sometimes it just takes a couple hundred thousand years.
Read more »
Ancient mastodon tooth found by jogger on California beach: 'So excited to get that call'The massive fossil once belonged to an ancient elephant-like creature dating back to the Ice Age.
Read more »