#carbon-dating

#carbon-dating

While the bone was worn and poorly preserved, archaeologists managed to identify its origin by comparing it with modern elephant and mammoth bones. Despite there not being enough DNA to confirm the exact species, the researchers were able to carbon date a tiny sample of the bone. This places the elephant's death between the late fourth and early third centuries BC - right in the middle of the Second Punic War.

The question of when life began on Earth is as old as human culture. Professor Martin Whitehouse emphasizes the significance of pinpointing the moment life first appeared on Earth.