The straight-tusked elephant from Contrada Calorie (Basilicata, Southern Italy). Preliminary notes

Abstract

This research aims to provide preliminary information about the taxonomic identity, stature, and body weight of an elephant skeleton found in 1982 in the Contrada Calorie locality, near the village of Rotonda within the Mercure basin (Basilicata, Southern Italy). Although the elephant is well-known to the public and the remains have been exposed in the Geological, Paleontological, and Archeological Museum of Rotonda since their discovery and have been cited in some scientific articles, no one specifically dealts with such remains. According to the analysis we were able to perform, the elephant is a straight-tusked elephant, Palaeoloxodon antiquus, representative. The skeleton belongs to an individual about 35 years old, about 3.9-4 meters tall at the shoulder, and weighing about 9.6-9.7 tons. Most of the diagnostic dimorphic characters provided by the skeletal bones, including those of the pelvis, are undetectable due to the bone preservation status. However, the attribution to a male individual is conceivable, considering the not-advanced ontogenetic age coupled with the large size and tusk dimensions.