A modern African elephant tusk was discovered within a late Pleistocene aeolianite at Reunion Rocks, south of Durban. Ionium dating indicates that the tusk is older than 112 kyr BP with stratigraphic control suggesting a date at ca. 130 kyr BP. Preliminary carbon stable-isotopic analyses indicate that the elephant was a grass-grazer. Strontium isotopic analyses indicate a marine signature: this implies that the tusk suffered marine diagenesis or that the elephant accumulated a marine strontium isotope signature by living along the coastline.
Reference:
Ramsay, PJ, et al. 1993. 130000-year-old fossil elephant found near Durban, South-Africa: preliminary-report. South African Journal of Science, vol. 89(4), pp 165
Ramsay, P., Smith, A., Lee-Thorp, J., Vogel, J., Tyldsley, M., & Kidwell, W. (1993). 130000-year-old fossil elephant found near Durban, South-Africa: preliminary-report. http://hdl.handle.net/10204/2091
Ramsay, PJ, AM Smith, JC Lee-Thorp, JC Vogel, M Tyldsley, and W Kidwell "130000-year-old fossil elephant found near Durban, South-Africa: preliminary-report." (1993) http://hdl.handle.net/10204/2091
Ramsay P, Smith A, Lee-Thorp J, Vogel J, Tyldsley M, Kidwell W. 130000-year-old fossil elephant found near Durban, South-Africa: preliminary-report. 1993; http://hdl.handle.net/10204/2091.