Evidence of prehistoric animals unearthed in Macedonia

13/09/2007

Fossil remains of an ancient giraffe, antelopes, rhinoceroses, a saber-toothed tiger, mastodons and other large animals have been located near a village in eastern Macedonia.

By Zoran Nikolovski for Southeast European Times in Skopje -- 13/09/07

The remains date back five to ten million years. [Tomislav Georgiev]

A prehistoric giraffe discovered in eastern Macedonia earlier this summer is the first to be found in Europe, according to paleontologists. The ancient animal was among several sets of fossil remains dating five to ten million years ago.

Located outside the village of Stamer, near Delcovo, the fossils bear witness that antelopes, prehistoric rhinoceroses, saber-toothed tigers, and mastodons once lived on Europe's soil, as well as the giraffe. Such evidence could also be helpful in tracing the evolution of homo sapien, which is believed to have originated in Africa around 200,000 years ago and migrated later to Europe and Asia.

"We found fossil remains in a few locations near Stamer, and more finds are expected," said paleontologist Denis Geraads of the Man Evolution Laboratory, with the National Scientific Research Centre in Paris.

"In the first location, we found remains of a prehistoric giraffe, the first such finding in Europe. This is an important finding and we hope to find many more specimens in this location," said Geraads.

According to Nikolaj Spasov of the National Natural History Museum in Sofia, the Stamer site contains remains from the Late Miocene period. The unearthed giraffe, he says, represents the ancestor of present-day African giraffes. Today's animal weighs up to one tonne on average, while the Macedonian specimen weighed around two tonnes, was shorter and had horns.

Initial excavations have been under way since March when a mining engineer, Ljube Mitevski, found the bones and handed them to the scientists.

New, intensive excavations start this month. Macedonia's Ministry of Culture is allotting funds for exploration of the site. The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning has secured the site and put it under temporary measures. Permanent surveillance measures have been announced to deter illegal diggers, a constant problem in Macedonia.