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Fossils from the 'Missing Years' in Africa


R•s••rch•rs s•• th•• h•v• •d•nt•f••d •n•m•l f•ss•ls fr•m 27 000 000 y••rs •g• •n wh•t •s n•w •th••p••. Th• r•m••ns •r• fr•m th• m•ddl• •f • t•m• c•ll•d th• "m•ss•ng y••rs" •r th• "d•rk p•r••d ." Th•s •s b•c••s• sc••nt•sts h•v• s• l•ttl• •nf•rm•t••n •b••t th• m•mm•ls th•t l•v•d th•n. Th• p•r••d b•g•n 32 m•ll••n y••rs •g•. •fr•c• •nd •r•b•• w•r• • s•ngl• c•nt•n•nt, • h•g• •sl•nd kn•wn •s •fr• - •r•b••. Th• p•r••d •nd•d 24 000 000 y••rs •g•, •ft•r • l•nd br•dg• f•rm•d w•th ••r•s••.

John Kappelman •s •n •nthr•p•l•g•st •t th• •n•v•rs•t• •f T•x•s •n ••st•n •nd l••d•r •f th• •m•r•c•n •nd •th••p••n s••rch t••m. Mr Kappelman s••s 8 000 000 y••rs •s • l•ng t•m• t• l•ck •nf•rm•t••n •b••t • c•nt•n•nt. H• s••s sc••nt•sts h•v• •nl• b••n •bl• t• g••ss wh•t h•pp•n•d t• •fr•c•n m•mm•ls d•r•ng th•t p•r••d. Th• r•m••ns f••nd •n th• Chilga •r•• •f •th••p•• •ff•r •mp•rt•nt •v•d•nc•.

Th• r•m••ns •ncl•d• t••th, sk•ll p••c•s •nd •th•r b•n•s. Th• sc••nt•sts f••nd th•m •n • f•rm•ng •r•• •b••t 2000 m•t•rs •b•v• s•• l•v•l, •n th• h•ghl•nds •f •th••p••. S•t•ll•t• p•ct•r•s h•lp•d th• r•s••rch•rs d•c•d• wh•r• t• d•g. Th• f•ss•ls c•m• fr•m •b••t 70 d•ff•r•nt d•gs. Th• m•g•z•n• N•t•r• p•bl•sh•d th• f•nd•ngs. Th• sc••nt•sts s•• th• f•ss•ls c•m• fr•m b•f•r• l•rg• n•mb•rs •f •n•m•ls b•g•n t• •rr•v• •n •fr•c• fr•m ••r•p• •nd •s••. Th• f•ss•ls •ls• sh•w th•t s•m• •n•m•ls •x•st•d m•ll••ns •f y••rs b•f•r• sc••nt•sts h•d th••ght.

Th• r•s••rch•rs f••nd s•v•r•l k•nds •f •nc••nt pr•b•sc•d••ns. Th•s• •r• •n•m•ls w•th tr•nks. M•d•rn •l•ph•nts •r• pr•b•sc•d••ns. Sc••nt•sts h•v• l•ng th••ght •l•ph•nts b•g•n •n •fr•c•. Th•• s•• th•s d•sc•v•r• pr•v•s th•t th••r•. Th• •nc•st•rs w••gh•d •b••t 1000 k•l•gr•ms, • l•t sm•ll•r th•n •fr•c•n •l•ph•nts t•d••.

John Kappelman s••s th• •l•ph•nt •nc•st•rs w•r• •n• •f th• f•w •fr•c•n m•mm•ls th•t s•rv•v•d th• •nv•s••n •f m•mm•ls fr•m ••r•s••. H• s••s •l•ph•nts g•t th••r st•rt •n •fr•c• d•r•ng th• ••ght - m•ll••n - y••r p•r••d, •nd th•n spr••d •r••nd th• w•rld. Th• r•s••rch•rs •ls• f••nd th• r•m••ns •f •n •nc••nt •n•m•l w•th tw• h•rns •n •ts h••d, c•ll•d th• •rs•n••th•r•. Th• sc••nt•sts w•r• •xc•t•d, b•c••s• th•s •s th• y••ng•st s•t •f s•ch r•m••ns y•t d•sc•v•r•d. Th• •n•m•l •s m•ch l•rg•r th•n •ts •nc•st•rs. ••rl••r f•rms w•r• •b••t th• s•z• •f p•gs. B•t th• •rs•n••th•r• f••nd •t Chilga w•s •b••t tw• m•t•rs t•ll •nd w••gh•d m•r• th•n tw• t•ns.

Th•• w•r• s•m•l•r t• th• m•d•rn rh•n•c•r•s. Th• tw• •r• n•t r•l•t•d. •n f•ct, sc••nt•sts th••ght •rs•n••th•r•s h•d d•s•pp••r•d fr•m th• •fr• - •r•b••n c•nt•n•nt •nc• rh•n•s •rr•v•d fr•m ••r•s••. •n• r•s••rch•r s••s •t n•w •pp••rs th•• d•d n•t c•mp•t• f•r s•rv•v•l. Sc••nt•sts s•• th•• •xp•ct m•r• d•sc•v•r••s t• c•m• •b••t th• m•mm•ls th•t l•v•d d•r•ng th• s• - c•ll•d m•ss•ng y••rs.
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