INFERRING THE DIET OF EXTINCT ELEPHANTS: THE CASE STUDY OF STRAIGHT-TUSKED ELEPHANTS FROM NEUMARK NORD 1 (NORTHEASTERN GERMANY)
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ABSTRACT: Palombo M.R. & Iacumin P., Inferring the diet of extinct elephants: the case study of straight-tusked elephants from Neumark Nord 1 (Northeastern Germany). (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2011) Inferring the diet of fossil mammals is a major approach to mammalian palaeobiology and palaeoecology. Compared to other mammals, proboscideans pose significant problems because elephants eat different kinds of food and may change it frequently. Results obtained by analysing the last molars of Palaeoloxodon antiquus from Neumark Nord, highlight the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary approach in inferring the dietary adaptation of elephants. The microwear pattern and stable isotope data obtained for the straight-tusked elephants from Neumark Nord 1, suggest they were mainly grazers in a wooded grassland and moderately humid environment.
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