1.1m-year-old elephant skull discovered

LAHORE
Punjab University (PU) Zoology Department’s researchers claim to have discovered a 1.1 million-year-old skull of female elephant which weighs 120kg.
The skull has been discovered from Panjan Sher Shahana Pabbi Hills, area of the district Gujrat.
According to details, PU Zoology Department PhD Scholar Syed Ghayoor Abbas has been excavating the area for the last 1.5 years. During his research work in the area of Pabi Hills, he found signs of remains of the skull of the female elephant. Ghayoor spent two days to unearth and preserve the complete skull.
Talking to media-persons, PU Zoology Department Professor Dr Muhammad Akhtar said during laboratory experiments it was found that the skull was 1.1 million years old and it belonged to the species of elephants found in Asia, Africa and Europe. He said 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 the skull would be preserved and more research would be carried out to better understand the species of elephants of that era. He also said the discovery would help scientists understand the genetic, hereditary and evolution of the animal.
PhD Scholar Syed Ghayoor Abbas said he had found fossils of many different animals and species in the area, which had opened new avenues for the field. He said he had found fossils of deer, pigs and rhinos in the area during his excavation work.