According to a recent discovery, Gomphotheres, an extinct relative of the modern elephant, roamed southern Chile thousands of years ago and may have been the target of group hunts by locals.
Near Lake Tagua Tagua, a glacial finger lake in southern Chile, researchers recently discovered several Gomphothere relics that date back 12,000 years.
Scientists believe that because the enormous monsters could grow to a height of 3 metres (9.8 feet) and weigh up to 4 tonnes, local residents may have hunted them in packs.
‘The hypothesis we’re working with is that it’s about hunting events,’ said Carlos Tornero, an archeologist working on the site. ‘We think this because the Gomphothere is a very large animal and dangerous and it probably required several people (to hunt).’
The discovery, according to scientists, will also enable them to research the larger impact of people on the area and how a changing climate affected local wildlife at the time.
Elisa Calas, an archaeologist working on the site, said, ‘We can learn a lot from here, for instance about climate change and how it affects animals.’ ‘The impact that humanity had on the environment, which is extremely consistent with current environmental trends.’
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