Neanderthals Hunted Giant Elephants Across Ice-Age Europe

Fossil teeth reveal migration patterns and hunting behaviors of prehistoric elephants

Mar. 17, 2026 at 12:12am

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An international research team has reconstructed the life histories of four European straight-tusked elephants (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) that lived during the last interglacial period around 125,000 years ago. By analyzing the elephants' fossil teeth, the researchers were able to trace the animals' migration patterns, diet, and even sex, providing insights into how Neanderthals hunted these massive prehistoric creatures.

Why it matters

The study of these elephant fossils from the Neumark-Nord site in Germany offers a unique window into the relationship between Neanderthals and the largest land mammals of prehistoric Europe. The findings suggest Neanderthals engaged in organized, deliberate hunting of the elephants, rather than just opportunistic kills, indicating a sophisticated understanding of the landscape and cooperation within their social groups.

The details

The researchers used an innovative approach combining isotope and protein analysis of the elephant teeth to reconstruct their life histories. Strontium isotope analysis showed the elephants traveled long distances, up to 300 kilometers, before reaching the Neumark-Nord region. Carbon and oxygen isotopes provided data on their diet and environment. Paleoproteomics also allowed the team to determine the sex of the four elephants - three males and likely one female.

  • The elephants lived during the last interglacial period around 125,000 years ago.
  • The Neumark-Nord site in Germany, where over 70 elephant fossils have been found, was a lake landscape during this time.

The players

Elena Armaroli

The study's first author and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) in Italy.

Federico Lugli

An associate professor at UNIMORE and a corresponding author of the study.

Wolfgang Müller

One of the directors of the Frankfurt Isotope and Element Research Center (FIERCE) at Goethe University, where some of the data was collected.

Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser

A professor of prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and head of institute at MONREPOS.

Thomas Tütken

A professor in the Applied and Analytical Paleontology Group at JGU.

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What they’re saying

“Thanks to isotope analyses, we can trace the movements of elephants almost as if we had a travel diary that has been preserved in their teeth for more than one hundred thousand years.”

— Elena Armaroli (Science Advances)

“Some of the elephants we studied were animals that did not stay in just one area. Their teeth show that they traveled very long distances - up to 300 kilometers - before reaching what is now Neumark-Nord. This allows us to reconstruct their home ranges and understand how these animals used the landscape.”

— Federico Lugli (Science Advances)

“The concentration of remains and the isotope profile of the animals suggest that Neanderthals did not kill the elephants merely when a favorable opportunity arose. Everything points to organized hunting in which even such enormous prey animals could be deliberately targeted. For this, Neanderthals must have known the landscape well, cooperated, and planned.”

— Elena Armaroli (Science Advances)

What’s next

The research team has started a genetic study of the Neumark elephants to further understand the population dynamics and Neanderthal hunting at the site.

The takeaway

This study provides remarkable insights into the relationship between Neanderthals and the largest land mammals of prehistoric Europe, revealing the sophisticated hunting strategies and environmental understanding of our ancient human relatives. The findings challenge previous notions of Neanderthal survival and highlight their complex interactions with the rich lakeshore ecosystem of Neumark-Nord.