Archaeologists excavating a site near the Yamula Dam in Kayseri made an unexpected find: A 7.5 million year old giraffe forefoot bone.
Expert anthropologist Oğuzhan Köylüoğlu, 32, said that work at the site began on June 7 and that they discovered over 30 fossils. They typically discover articulated fossils on horses and “bovidae,” or the family of cattle.
But this year, they discovered a giraffe‘s forelimb bone that was in good condition. Furthermore, according to Köylüoğlu, they have discovered a total of 612 fossils in the vicinity of the Yamula Dam, including those belonging to carnivores, pigs, giraffids, equids, bovids, and proboscideans (elephant cousins).
According to the news of Daily Sabah, since Murat Adyaman, a shepherd in the Kocasinan district, found a fragment of a bone on the beaches of the dam in 2017, excavations have been going on there for six years.
“We have found 10-15 more fossils. Currently, we have come across a more significant finding. Normally, we find articulated fossils on horses and bovids, but this year we found a giraffe forelimb bone. It is naturally preserved in an articulated state,” Köylüoğlu said.
The giraffe fossil, according to Köylüoğlu, was undamaged and had no fractures. He said that in addition to the giraffe, they also came across the bones of horses, sheep, goats, and antelopes.
The ancient horse fossils discovered by Köylüoğlu had three toes, which sets them apart from modern horses and is their only distinguishing characteristic. “This belongs to a horse species called ‘hipparion,’ which evolved 7.5 million years ago,” he said.
Ten individuals were working on the excavations in Kayseri, according to Köylüoğlu. Students join the team during the summer months when the field is accessible, continued Köylüoğlu, who also mentioned that they have developed new techniques for excavation.
“Unlike previous years, this year we have implemented a new method for fossil extraction,” he said, adding: “Normally, fossils are initially opened, numbered, and removed individually. However, this year we aim to extract them as blocks. The method we call ‘block extraction’ involves carefully exposing the area where multiple fossils are intertwined, removing the surrounding soil with plaster casts, and performing the extraction process.”