This fossil is named as
"Yellow River Elephant". It is 4 meters high and 8 meters long. Because the
elephant is armed with sword-like ivories as long as 2 meters, so it is also
called "Sword-ivory Elephant". Sword-ivory elephants were spread widely million
years ago and their fossils were discovered in foreign countries as well. This
set of skeleton fossil is the most integral one among all the skeletons of
sword-ivory elephant fond around the world.
It is supposed that, 3 million
years ago, the Gansu region was not as dry as present condition and was
distributed with rivers and lakes everywhere. One day, a sword-ivory elephant
missed its step and mired down in mud when it was drinking by the river. With
the passing of time, waste accumulation got thicker and thicker. As a result,
its skeleton was completely preserved. Because the region was uplifted and
became high plateau after complicated geologic succession, the "Yellow River
Elephant" was finally released from under earth.
The fossil of "Yellow River
Elephant" is not only precious material for research of ancient geography and
geologic climate of Gansu region but also important harvest of excavation of
ancient extinct life in China. Since it is best known in China, even Chinese
teaching material of elementary school contains a piece of text telling the
story of "Yellow River Elephant". The fossil of "Yellow River Elephant" is on
exhibition in the hall of ancient extinct life of Beijing Nature
Museum.
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In 1973, several farmers found some pure white ivories
when they were digging the sand in Gansu Province of western China. Hardly had
they found it, they reported it to the local government. Under the guidance of
local government, the whole fossil was dug out completely: It was the skeleton
of an elephant, agley inserted in the sand with foot treading on stones.
