A new analysis of 125,000-year-old bones from around 70 elephants has led to some intriguing new revelations about the Neanderthals of the time: that they could work together to deliberately bring down large prey, and that they gathered in larger groups...
of the time: that they could work together to deliberately bring down large prey, and that they gathered in larger groups than previously thought., a now extinct species that stood nearly 4 meters tall at the shoulder. That's nearly twice the size of the African elephants that are alive today, and around 4 tons of meat would have been taken from each carcass.
The researchers estimate it would've taken a team of 25 people between 3–5 days to skin and then dry or smoke the elephant meat. It points to either a large group of Neanderthals being nearby, or that they had ways of preserving the colossal volume of meat.Researcher Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser with a life-sized reconstruction of an adult male straight-tusked elephant.
"This is really hard and time-consuming work," Lutz Kindler, an archaeozoologist from the MONREPOS Archaeological Research Center in Germany, toldEvidence of charcoal fires around the archaeological site suggest that the meat would have been dried, which is one way of making it last for longer.
"It constitutes the earliest unambiguous evidence for the systematic targeting and processing of straight-tusked elephants, the largest Pleistocene terrestrial mammals that ever lived," write the researchers in their
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Large Fire Reported in Chicago Heights; Giant Plume of Smoke Visible for MilesEmergency crews are on the scene of a large fire in Chicago Heights that is sending giant plumes of smoke visible for miles.
Read more »
Ancient humans used mastodon bones to hunt the giant beastsThe 13,900-year-old projectile point is likely the oldest evidence of early Americans hunting the giant beasts.
Read more »
Super-Rare Star System Is a Giant Cosmic Accident Waiting to HappenFor the first time, astronomers have positively identified a binary system that is destined to one day end up as a kilonova – the explosive result of a neutron star collision.
Read more »
Knight Vs Giant: The Broken Excalibur AnnouncedPQube and Gambir Studio revealed Knight vs Giant: The Broken Excalibur will be released for PC and consoles in 2023. indiedev indiegame
Read more »
Energy giant hiring for 'worst job' after CEO's cyanide poisoningThe energy giant whose boss was poisoned with cyanide is looking for a new CEO — a role described as 'impossible' and the 'worst job in global energy'
Read more »
Inside Meat Giant’s Cozy Relationship With Biden AdminEXCLUSIVE | Brazilian meat conglomerate JBS, caught in bribery, COVID, and child labor scandals, faced getting cut off from federal contracts. Then it hired a former top aide to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Read more »