700,000-year-old elephant tooth reveals a lost ecosystem shared by early humans in the Levant
A remarkably preserved elephant tooth previously recovered from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY-NBA)—a prehistoric site in northern Israel where early humans made stone tools some 700,000 years ago—has now enabled researchers to reconstruct a lush landscape of woodlands, wetlands and waterways from the Pleistocene. The findings provide a rare glimpse into the environment shared by giant elephants and…
Researchers have discovered a remarkably preserved elephant tooth at the prehistoric site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY-NBA) in northern Israel. This find, dating back 700,000 years, provides valuable insights into the environment shared by early humans and giant elephants during the Pleistocene era. The tooth, alongside basalt handaxes and cleavers, suggests a lush landscape of woodlands, wetlands and waterways that supported both large mammals and early human populations.
The study, led by Hannah Farrell of the University of Haifa, used multiple analytical techniques to reconstruct this resource-rich environment. The analysis found evidence of woodlands, grasslands, marshes, rivers and shallow-water habitats, indicating a stable ecological refuge along the Levantine Corridor, a land bridge connecting Africa and Eurasia.
This environment likely provided reliable water, vegetation and animal resources for both wildlife and human groups migrating through the region.
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