A Note On The Remains of Fossil Elephants Preserved in the University of Ankara

Authors : Muzaffer Şenyürek

Pages : 696-698

View : 16 | Download : 6

Publication Date : 1960-10-20

Article Type : Research Article

Abstract :A broken molar tooth was found in tE e cutting beside the highway, about 150 meters north of the Primary School of the village of Akdoğan which is located nine kilometers to the south-east of Kızılcahamam. Parts of this molar tooth, found in 1957, were collected by Dr. Oğuz Erol and afterwards by me. In the lower part of this cutting, on the western side of the Ankara-Kızılcahamam highway, is seen a layer of clay, with sand and tuff, and at its top there is a layer of conglomerate. The fossil tooth was found in the lower part of the cutting. This fossil tooth, which in spite of the wear, is clearly seen to be brachyodont, belongs to the genus Archidiskodon Pohlig. In addition to brachydontism, the thickness of its enamel (5 mm. on the average) and the enamel plate frequency of 4 .21 for 10 centimeters bring this tooth close to those of Archidiskodon planifrons (Falconer and Cautley). However, the incompleteness of the specimen makes a certain specific determination difficult. This fossil tooth belonging to a primitive Elephant of genus Archidiskodon Pohlig shows that this cutting on the side of the highway belongs to the Villafranchian stage, that is, to the Lower Pleistocene.
Keywords : University of Ankara, Akdoğan, Pleistocene, Kızılcahamam