Rare elephant molar (<i>Loxodonta africana zulu</i>) from the Windhoek Spring Deposit, Namibia

Abstract

An elephant molar recovered from the Windhoek Zoo Park Gardens in 1961/1962, dating to 6991–7241 cal BP, is a rare specimen of Loxodonta africana zulu. Although pollen and diatom assemblages in the sediment suggest wetter conditions and more C4 grass during the elephant's life, a bioapatite δ13C estimate of its diet indicates that it fed predominantly on C3 vegetation.