5 Mn-Year-Old Elephant Fossils Found Near Dehradun

• 21 Jul 2020

• A camera-trap study in the reserve forests near Dehradun, which was conducted to develop a new tiger reserve, led to the discovery of one of the world's oldest fossil remains of elephants, dating back to 5 million years.
• The rare fossils of elephants suggest that the foothills of the Himalayas, the beautiful lush green Terai region in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, were once inhabited by giant elephants, giraffes, horses and hippopotamus.
• The sample, dating back to 5 to 8 million years, suggest the presence of Stegodon in the region.
• Stegodon is a genus of the extinct subfamily Stegodontinae of the order Proboscidea.Stegodonts were present from 11.6 million years ago (mya) to the late Pleistocene. There are unconfirmed records of regional survival until 4,100 years ago. Fossils are found in Asian and African strata dating from the late Miocene.