Pictures: Prehistoric Elephant Tracks Reveal Early Behaviors

Aerial Footprints

Image courtesy Bibi et al

A closeup of the aerial photomosaic shows the main section of the trackway, which has given the team "astonishing glimpses into animal behavior," Kraatz said.

For instance, the scientists could tell the tracks were made by elephants of different sizes, based on the lengths of the animals' strides. (See "First Dinosaur Tracks Found on Arabian Peninsula.")

The main trackway was made by a herd of 13 animals of varying ages, the study says. Tracks from a single, large individual cross the main trackway—most likely made by a male Stegotretabelodon. This suggests that the prehistoric elephants traveled in herds of females and juveniles, while males traveled solo.

This scenario jibes with the social structure of modern elephants: Adult females lead the herds while sexually mature males live alone and return to the herd only to mate.

Published February 23, 2012

Footprint Cleaning

Photograph courtesy Mark Beech

Study co-author Faysal Bibi brushes sand from a footprint on January 13, 2011. The tracks are located on an exposed area of carbonate—a type of limestone—that had been scoured clean over time, making the footprints easy to spot from the air, Kraatz said.

Though this part of the Arabian Desert is now mostly sand dunes, a system of rivers once supported a thriving diversity of African-like animals, which started dying out when the water dried up about six million years ago.

(See "Oldest Land-Walker Tracks Found—Pushes Back Evolution.")

Published February 23, 2012

On the Move

Photograph by Michael Poliza, National Geographic

A herd of African elephants traverses Damaraland, Namibia, in an undated picture. Like this modern-day group, the prehistoric Stegotretabelodon herd was made up of animals of various ages, including a calf, according to the team's analyses of the animals' strides.

Though Kraatz and colleagues weren't surprised to find that the ancient beasts moved in herds, the study provides the best evidence to date of the behavior in prehistoric elephants, he said.

(See "Ancient Elephant Ancestor Lived in Water, Study Finds.")

Published February 23, 2012

Separating From the Herd

Illustration courtesy Mauricio Antón

A simulated view of the trackway site shows a Stegotetrabelodon male walking away from the main herd. The male's 850-foot-long (260-meter-long) track suggests that the ancient elephants segregated themselves by gender, just as their modern counterparts do today.

Unlike bones, which give scientists mostly physical clues about ancient animals, tracks are "fossilizing an aspect of the way they lived," Kraatz said.

(See "Elephants Took 24 Million Generations to Evolve From Mouse-Size.")

Published February 23, 2012

Isolated Track

Photograph courtesy Faysal Bibi

A person walks near part of the male Stegotetrabelodon's trackway on January 13, 2011.

Overall, Kraatz said, the research gives scientists new insight into a species loved by many. (See elephant pictures.)

"We're strongly attached to elephants," he said, "and it's cool we can trace this [herding] behavior back so many millions of years."

Published February 23, 2012

Next: Photos: "Dramatic" Elephant Rescue in Zambia >>

Photograph courtesy Abraham Banda, Norman Carr Safaris

Published February 23, 2012