12,000-year-old elephant remains discovered in Chile may shed light on climate change effects

Photo Credit:  Britannica Encyclopedia

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Chilean scientists uncovered the remains of what they believe is the Gomphothere, an extinct relative of the modern elephant, near Lake Tagua Tagua, a glacial lake, in Cochamo in southern Chile, said CNN in a story by Reuters.

The scientists believe the remains of the Gomphothere they discovered dates back 12,000 years. They also figure the gigantic animal which weighed up to four tons and measured 9.8 meters was dominant in southern Chile and may have been hunted down by inhabitants of the region.

According to Reuters, archaeologist Carlos Tornero said the Gomphothere was a very large and dangerous animal which probably required several people to hunt it.

The scientists said the Gomphothere may also provide information on how climate change affected animals in that era.

“We can get a lot of information from here, for example with regards to climate change, how it affected animals,” said Elisa Calas, an archaeologist also working on the site, told Reuters

“The influence humans had on the environment which is very in line with what’s happening now in terms of the environment.”

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