Elephant Remains found at U105!

[Michael Alexander]

I heard on the shop floor today that the remains of an elephant have been discovered at U105 in the mining area..... This is a wow story if it proves to be true...... Imagine Elephants in the desert were not just roaming the Kaokaveld but down here in the deep south..... One wonders how many other interesting objects/finds have been lost over the decades to mining.....

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Elephant remains were found at Dabaras Prospecting by Dr. Gudrun Corvenus

Some were shown in the Geology offices, mid seventies, i am sure there was an article in the newsletter those days.....

[Gordon Brown]

 Those were remains of hippos which used to live on the river at the time.

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

@ Gordon

Do you also remember the Dassie head 2-3 times normal size ???

[Gordon Brown]

Was that housed in Doc Stocken's office? May have been the skull of one of those long haired baboons we saw on occasion in the mine. Geologist Hugh Dury showed me this skull in the Geology offices. Dave Liniker also came across hippo bones in the southern part of the mine either in G or U Area. Not sure what part.
regards
Gordon

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

It was next to the electrical egineers office where Iggy had his drawings

[Michael Alexander]

I concur, the elephant found now was way up the coast and not near a water source, the remains I have read about in previous CDm papers were Hippo's.....

[Bertie Horak]

Quite amazing.  Would love to see pictures.  And to think the elephant's closest relative is in fact the Dassie.  Coincidence? 

[Michael Alexander]

About a 90 km coincidence....

[Cynthia L]

so, was there an elephant or not ?????  now i am m issing out on that stuff 

[Gordon Brown]

Michael, on this topic I came across a report on the fossil vertebrates recovered from pit2/AD8 at Arrisdrift. They are listed as follows:
Catfish, Frog, Crocodile, Eagle, Giant elephant shrew, Bear-dog, Giant dassie/hyrax, Deinothere (from which evolved the true elephants), Rhinoceros, Chevrotain, Pika (mouse-hare), and Spring hare. Quite a collection. Also looks like you right about elephant remains as the Deinothere resembled a present day elephant except it had a much shorter trunk. More then 2000 fossil specimens were recovered, cleaned and repaired. What a find! More on this if you interested.

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Send us all you have

That is what i was talking about from Dr Gudrun Corvenus

[Michael Alexander]

At home, I have a book on the Sperrgebiedt, I will scan the page with the article on the arrisdrift fossils... there's a few pics there also....

[Bertie Horak]

Yes please, Gordon & Mike.  I'd love to know more about the fossils.  I know elsewhere in Namibia there's quite a few older fossils and dinosaur footprints in rocks.  Will look for it, I have pictures somewhere.

[Michael Alexander]

Here we go...The Arrisdrift Fossils!