LAHORE: A PhD researcher from Punjab University (PU) Department of Zoology claims to have discovered a “rare 3.3 million-year-old elephant tusk fossil” from Tatrot village in Sohawa tehsil of Jhelum district.

PU Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Zafar Mueen Nasir announced this in a briefing during his visit to the varsity’s Jhelum campus on Tuesday. He was accompanied by campus Administrator Muhammad Akram Chaudhry, Department of Zoology’s Prof Dr Muhammad Akhtar and others.

Prof Akhtar claimed that initial scientific investigations had revealed the fossil belonged to the extinct Anancus genus of elephants, which roamed the primitive forest habitat of Jhelum around 3.5 million years ago and measured approximately six feet.

He said the recovered fossil specimen had been transferred to the PU Jhelum campus on Dec 31 under his and Dr Muhammad Akbar’s supervision, who were the research supervisors.

Researcher Ghayyur Abbas said the discovery would help investigate environment of the area at that time. The discovery of rare fossils of animals from the region could also help unearth the relationship among animals of different kinds.

The VC directed the Department of Zoology to submit PC-1 to the Higher Education Commission in Islamabad to establish a Siwalik Fossils Display Museum at PU’s Jhelum sub-campus.

Siwalikh mountain geological formation range in Jhelum, Chakwal and Mianwali districts is said to be regarded as a ‘paradise’ of rare elephant fossils.

Published in Dawn January 4th, 2017