Pj. Ramsay et al., 130000-YEAR-OLD FOSSIL ELEPHANT FOUND NEAR DURBAN, SOUTH-AFRICA - PRELIMINARY-REPORT, South African journal of science, 89(4), 1993, pp. 165-165
A modern African elephant tusk was discovered within a late Pleistocen
e aeolianite at Reunion Rocks, south of Durban. Ionium dating indicate
s that the tusk is older than 112 kyr BP with stratigraphic control su
ggesting a date at ca. 130 kyr BP. Preliminary carbon stable-isotopic
analyses indicate that the elephant was a grass-grazer. Strontium isot
opic analyses indicate a marine signature: this implies that the tusk
suffered marine diagenesis or that the elephant accumulated a marine s
trontium isotope signature by living along the coastline. Research is
continuing.