The ongoing fossil excavations in Kayseri, initiated in 2018, have yielded a treasure trove of fossils that make clear the traditional historical past of giraffes and different outstanding creatures.
Professor Oğuzhan Köylüoğlu, the top of the Anthropology Department at Hacı Bayram Veli University in Ankara, gave insights into this yr’s groundbreaking discoveries throughout these excavations.
He disclosed that the excavation, initially sparked by a shepherd’s discovery close to the Yamula Dam, needed to conclude sooner than deliberate resulting from adversarial climate.
Notably, 2023 has confirmed to be a productive yr by way of excavations, with a deal with fossils linked to the giraffe household, scientifically referred to as “giraffa.” What distinguishes these findings is their distinctive preservation, with a lot of them exhibiting jointed traits – a rarity in paleontology.
Köylüoğlu described this yr because the “giraffe season” due to the abundance of those intriguing fossils. Besides giraffe fossils, the excavation additionally unearthed specimens from the horse and rhinoceros households.
Among probably the most outstanding discoveries had been three fossils uncovered throughout floor work: One of those fossils was an elephant heel bone. In proximity to Taşhan, one other outstanding discover was an elephant backbone bone. These fossils present fascinating perception into the fauna of the late Miocene interval, courting again 7.5 million years, revealing hanging variations from their fashionable species.
As Köylüoğlu defined, giraffes of that period had been shorter and resembled horses to some extent. Their distinctive lengthy necks, attribute of contemporary giraffes, advanced to adapt to their leafy eating regimen.
Highlighting the distinctive nature of the Kayseri excavation web site, Köylüoğlu famous megafauna, together with proboscideans – animals characterised by their massive morphology. This web site boasts a powerful assortment of proboscidean fossils, together with a cranium with its jaw and jointed forearm bones. Additionally, two full giraffe household skulls have additionally been found, serving to within the scientific understanding of those historical creatures.
Geologists from America and Europe are diligently engaged on courting these 7.5-million-year-old fossils, refining our information of prehistoric timelines. The variability in fossil findings from layer to layer underscores the complexity of the excavation. Interestingly, jointed elephant fossils have just lately been found, a testomony to the continued surprises this web site has in retailer.
Köylüoğlu emphasised that the Kızılırmak Basin, 7.5 million years in the past, featured a wider panorama with ample water sources, which contributed to a flourishing mammalian inhabitants. Kayseri’s present subtropical local weather, characterised by semi-forest and semi-savannah areas, resembles the habitat of up to date African creatures, hinting on the historical ancestry of those outstanding species.
Köylüoğlu additionally talked about the invention of quite a few giraffe fossils throughout this yr’s excavations, with a notable abundance of lengthy bones, together with forearm and hindfoot bones, providing invaluable insights into the evolutionary historical past of those fascinating creatures.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
