Archaeologists working on excavations at a site on the shores of Yamula Dam in Türkiye's Kayseri discovered a 7.5 million-year-old giraffe forelimb bone in a surprising discovery.
Oğuzhan Köylüoğlu, a 32-year-old expert anthropologist, stated that the work at the site started on June 7 and they found nearly 30 fossils. Normally, they would find articulated fossils on horses and "bovidae," which are the bovine family.
However, this year they found a well-preserved forelimb bone belonging to a giraffe. Köylüoğlu further explained that they have unearthed a total of 612 fossils in the Yamula Dam region, including proboscideans (elephant relatives), giraffids, equids (horse family), bovids, carnivores, and pigs.
The excavations in the area have been ongoing for six years since Murat Adıyaman, a shepherd in the Kocasinan district, discovered a piece of a bone on the shores of the dam in 2017.
"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.
Köylüoğlu said that the giraffe fossil was intact with no fractures. He said that they encountered other ancient animal remains such as horses, sheep, goats, and antelopes in addition to the giraffe.
Köylüoğlu noted that the unique feature of ancient horse fossils they unearthed is that they have three toes, making them distinct and different from present-day horses. "This belongs to a horse species called 'hipparion,' which evolved 7.5 million years ago," he said.
Köylüoğlu noted that there was a team of 10 people working on the excavations in Kayseri. "During the summer months when the field is accessible, students join the team," Köylüoğlu added and said they had new methods for excavations.
"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."
