Numerous parts of a skeleton belonging to an elephant’s grandsire that lived seven-eight millions years ago were discovered on an earth road in Gherghe?ti, Vaslui county (Eastern Romania).
The experts from Bârlad Museum and from the Geology Faculty in Iasi say the giant animal used to live in the area of Moldova Plateau 7, 8 millions years ago. They say it belonged to Deinotherium Giganteum species, a grandsire of the African elephant which lived during the Late Miocene epoch. The animal had over four meters high and about 3.5-4 meters long.
The experts have found fragments of ivory, thighbone, cannon bone and pelvic belt. They say the relic are deeply spoiled and covered in volcanic ash.
According to the geologists, the skeleton was roughly dispersed, horizontally overlapped. They hope to find other elements, too and to recover 50 percent of the animal’s skeleton. A similar specimen was found in Mânza?i, Vaslui county more than 100 years ago, and it is now on display at Grigore Antipa National History Museum.
The experts say it is an exceptional discovery which proves once again that in Moldova Plateau there was a subtropical climate where they used to live elephants, rhinos, tigers and even hyenas.