Pursuit of Elephants in Grevena

Abstract

The abundance and richness of the fossil record place Milia as the richest Pliocene locality in Greece and among the richest in Europe, dating back to a crucial period for the faunal evolution in the Northern Hemisphere. During the initial period of research, the paleontologists were able to confidently identify the majority of the species that lived in Milia and analyze their diversity. The fossil record of Milia holds a significant place in the discussions surrounding the faunal changes during the Early Villafranchian and Quaternary and could be considered as a reference point for the MN16a biozone in southeastern Europe. It should also be recognized as the best-preserved fossil record of the mastodon Mammut borsoni, a species with a broad distribution temporally and geographically, but never known by such complete fossils that allow detailed documentation of its anatomy. Shortly after their co-occurrence in Milia, the giants of the Early Villafranchian, including Borson’s mastodon and the rhinoceros, survived a bit longer but never crossed to the Quaternary. Instead, the mastodon of Auvergne, the gazelle, the ramosus deer, the great saber-toothed cat and the giant tortoise managed to survive a little more at the beginning of the Quaternary before they became, eventually, extinct. Milia paints with vivid colors the calmness before the Quaternary “storm” that brought dramatic and shocking faunal and climate changes. As its unique fossils indicate, around 3,5 Ma Milia was a paradise for these animals without water and food shortage, allowing them to reach record-breaking sizes and a remarkable diversity—a paradise lost following the climate changes in the last two million years.