Ancient tracks are elephant herd (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Victoria Gill
Science reporter, BBC Nature

A seven-million-year-old trail of fossilised footprints in the Arabian desert was left by a herd of ancient elephants, according to scientists.

Researchers say the "trackways" reveal that animals that left them had a rich and complex social structure.

Just like modern elephant society, this consisted of family herds and of solitary male animals.

The study is published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Lead researcher Dr Faysal Bibi, a palaeontologist based at the University of Poitiers in France and the Museum of Natural History in Berlin, Germany, described the footprints as "fossilised behaviour".



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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/17102135

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[bvar22]

2. Amazing.

<WARNING: Off Topic RANT>
It does make me think about the tracks of the 4 wheelers now tearing up the American deserts.
Those will also be there for a long, LONG time.

At least the tracks of the Snow Machines in the Northern wilderness only last until the next storm or the spring thaw,
but the unwelcome memories of an un-muffled high performance two stroke engine shattering the incredible quiet of frozen wilderness morning will last a lifetime.

I can't help it.
I HATE those machines, and the fact that it opens pristine natural wilderness to assholes too lazy to hike,
ski, or paddle into those areas.
It was much more precious when one had to WORK to get there.

[iemitsu]

3. very cool

those are some old footprints.