In 1930 and 1933, fossils of Naumann’s elephant (
Palaeoloxodon naumanni) were excavated from the site of the Bank of Japan Head Office (Nihonbashi Hongokucho 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo), and reported by Tokunaga (1933). These fossils are still strictly the property of the bank. This paper presents the results of a re-examination of the fossils and reports new findings.
Among the fossils reported by Tokunaga (1933), a tusk, right mandible, right upper molar and tibia were unable to be located, but 17 pieces, including a left mandible, right upper molar, fragments of ribs, scapular fragments, humerus and femur, were available for re-examination. The stratigraphic level is the lower part of the Tokyo Formation (Port of Tokyo Geological Reseach Group, 2000), there are various views on the era, MIS 8-5. According to Tokunaga (1933), there was a four meters difference in depth between where the tusk was found in 1930 and the other elephant fossils found in 1933. However, the results of the re-examination show that the stratigraphy is almost the same horizon.
Tokunaga (1933) treated the tusk, upper molars, and mandible with molars as they were from different species, although the tooth type of the upper and lower molar is the same as the well-worn third molar. Additionally, their occlusion matches very well, the sizes of all the fossils are rather small for a Naumann’s elephant and totally balanced, and no parts overlap, suggesting that they are from the same individual.
The size of this specimen is rather small or middle for Naumann's elephants, and it could be the one of MIS 5 according to the view of Kondo (2005). The discussion about the size differences by age would be required after the age of Tokyo Formation is determined.
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