LAHORE - Researchers from Punjab University Zoology Department have discovered 1.1 million year old skull of female elephant weighing 120 kilogram from Panjan Sher Shahana Pabbi Hill in district Gujrat.
The discovery will help scientists understand genetic and hereditary evolution of the animal. PU Zoology Department PhD Scholar Syed Ghayoor Abbas had been excavating in the area for the past one and half year.
During research work, he found signs of remains of skull of the female elephant. Ghayoor spent two day to unearth and preserve the complete skull.
Talking to the media, PU Zoology Department Head Dr Muhammad Akhtar said that laboratory experiments confirm that the skull was 1.1 million year old and it belonged to the species of elephants found in Asia, Africa and Europe.
He said that the skull was 38 centimeter long and 28 centimeter wide, which proved that this elephant was twice as big as the elephants found today. He said that the skull would be preserved and more research would be carried out to better understand the species of elephants of that era.
PhD Scholar Ghayoor Abbas said that he had found fossils of many different animals and species in the area, which had opened new avenues for the field. He said that he had found fossils of deer, pigs and rhinos in the area during excavation.
He said that these discoveries would help him in completing PhD thesis and rare fossils would be shown to the world for further study. Scientific name of the elephant is Stegodon.