Chemical Clues in Straight-Tusked Elephant Teeth (Paleoloxodon antiquus): The 125,000-year-old remnants at Germany’s Neumark Nord reveal that these massive creatures migrated hundreds of kilometers, suggesting intentional hunting by Neanderthals.
The straight-tusked elephant (Paleoloxodon antiquus) stands as the largest terrestrial mammal of the European Pleistocene. Image credit: Hodari Nundu, CC-BY-4.0.
According to Dr. Elena Almaroli, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, “The straight-tusked elephant exemplifies the European Pleistocene interglacial ecosystem, sharing its habitat with Neanderthals during warmer periods.”
Archaeological findings indicate that Neanderthals utilized these elephants both as a food source and for tool-making materials across Europe.
Previously, the evidence that straight-tusked elephants were hunted and not merely scavenged was minimal and contentious.
In this groundbreaking study, researchers examined the molar teeth of four straight-tusked elephants found at the Neumark Nord site in northeastern Germany.
Strontium isotope analysis along the teeth’s growth axis indicated that these elephants roamed different regions of Europe throughout their lives.
Dr. Almaroli emphasized, “This isotope analysis allows us to track the elephants’ movements like a travel diary inscribed in their teeth for over 100,000 years.”
Dr. Federico Lugli, also from the University of Modena-Reggio Emilia, remarked, “Some of the elephants in our study demonstrated considerable mobility.”
“Their teeth reveal travel distances of up to 300 km to the region north of present-day Neumark,” he added, helping to reconstruct their geographical range and adaptation to the landscape.
Researchers identified the sex of the four elephants: three males and one female, with varying isotopic signatures indicating different habitats, suggesting that males had larger territories akin to modern elephant behavior.
“The concentration of remains and isotopic profiles indicate that Neanderthals targeted these elephants deliberately, not just opportunistically,” Dr. Almaroli stated.
“This implies organized hunting strategies where large prey could be systematically pursued.”
Dr. Lugli noted, “This study marks a significant methodological advancement as paleoproteomics has been employed to determine individual sex from proteins in tooth enamel for the first time in straight-tusked elephants.”
The findings were published in the magazine Scientific Progress on March 13th.
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Elena Almaroli et al. 2026. Life history of straight-tusked elephants from the last interglacial site of Neanderthals in Neumark Nord (~1.25 million years). Scientific Progress 12(11);doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adz0114
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