“The straight-tusked elephant was a renowned types of the European Pleistocene Interglacial environment, sharing the landscape with Neanderthals throughout the warmer durations of the Middle and Late Pleistocene,” stated Dr. Elena Armaroli, a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and associates.

“Its function as a resource for hominin populations has actually long been acknowledged, with historical findings showing Neanderthal usage of elephants as a source of food and their bones for tool making throughout Europe.”

“Until just recently, direct proof that the straight-tusked elephant was actively hunted, instead of scavenged, stayed limited and disputed.”

In the brand-new research study, the authors examined the molars of 4 straight-tusked elephants discovered at the Neumark-Nord website in northeastern Germany.

Strontium isotope analyses along the teeth’s development axis revealed that the animals had actually invested a number of years in various areas of Europe.

“Thanks to isotope analyses, we can trace the motions of elephants practically as if we had a travel journal that has actually been protected in their teeth for more than one hundred thousand years,” Dr. Armaroli stated.

“Some of the elephants we studied were animals that did not remain in simply one location,” included Dr. Federico Lugli, likewise from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

“Their teeth reveal that they took a trip long ranges– as much as 300 km– before reaching what is now Neumark-Nord.”

“This permits us to rebuild their home varieties and comprehend how these animals utilized the landscape.”

The scientists likewise determined the sex of the 4 elephants: 3 males and one woman.

2 of the males reveal isotope signatures that vary substantially from those anticipated for regional bed rocks in the location of Neumark-Nord.

This recommends that the males, just like modern-day elephants, varied over bigger areas than the women.

“The concentration of remains and the isotope profile of the animals recommend that Neanderthals did not eliminate the elephants simply when a beneficial chance occurred,” Dr. Armaroli stated.

“Everything indicates arranged searching in which even such massive victim animals might be intentionally targeted.”

“For this, Neanderthals need to have understood the landscape well, complied, and prepared.”

“This research study likewise marks a crucial methodological advance,” Dr. Lugli stated.

“For the very first time, paleoproteomics has actually been used to European straight-tusked elephants, permitting us to identify the sex of specific animals from proteins maintained in tooth enamel.”

The findings were released March 13 in the journal Science Advances

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Elena Armaroli et al2026. Biography of straight-tusked elephants from the Last Interglacial Neanderthal website of Neumark-Nord (~ 125 ka). Science Advances 12 (11 ); doi: 10.1126/ sciadv.adz0114