Footprints in the Sand
We are always excited by findings related to historic elephant presence on the Iberian Peninsula. A pioneering new research project led by the University of Seville, the Andalusian Institute of Earth Sciences, and the University of Huelva, has recently revealed that prehistoric elephants once roamed the coastline of what is now Murcia in southeastern Spain. For the first time, researchers have identified fossilised footprints preserved in ancient sand dunes which have been attributed to the elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus, otherwise known as the straight-tusked elephant, one of the largest known species that lived in Europe during the Ice Age.
The tracks date back to approximately 125,000 years ago and offer amazing new insights into the history of European elephant activity. Scientists have previously uncovered evidence of the straight-tusked elephant in fossilized sandstone on the coastal cliffs of Alentejo, Portugal (the same region as Pangea) with findings dated to shortly before their extinction. However, these are the first to be discovered in this region of Spain.
Fossilised prehistoric elephant footprints found in Murcia, Spain. Photo credit: Quaternary Science Reviews (2025)
The latest fossil footprints were discovered across four sites, revealing a rich community of mammals that once lived in a coastal forest ecosystem. The most exciting discovery was a set of four rounded footprints, each measuring 40 to 50 centimetres across, found at Torre de Cope on the Murcian coast. The size and shape of the prints show they were left by an elephant that likely stood more than two metres tall at the shoulder, weighed several tonnes and was probably over 30 years old. The tracks form a short trail, capturing the moment the elephant walked across soft dune sand that later hardened into rock, preserving its steps for thousands of years.
Elephant prints were not the only discovery. Researchers also found tracks believed to belong to red deer, showing how they moved through dunes and scrubland, along with a trail suggesting the presence of a young horse relative in the same area. Other footprints indicate a small weasel-like mammal slowly moving near water, and a single print with claw marks signifies wolves may also have lived in the nearby woodland.
The ecosystem where elephants once roamed in Spain probably looked similar, with humid forests and abundant freshwater sources. Photo credit: Canva stock
Together, these tracks reveal a diverse coastal ecosystem that looked very different from the dry landscape seen today. At the time, the region likely supported humid forests and freshwater sources that attracted large mammals and created natural routes for seasonal migration, linking Mediterranean forests with the coastline. These discoveries show that this area was once an important refuge for many animals, including elephants. Unlike bones, footprints capture a moment in time, revealing movement, behaviour, and the environment these animals lived in. They remind us that Murcia’s beaches and cliffs were once part of a thriving prehistoric landscape, preserved in the stone beneath our feet.
The full study, New vertebrate footprint sites in the latest interglacial dune deposits on the coast of Murcia (southeast Spain). Ecological corridors for elephants in Iberia? can be found here.
Author: Katy Lana Hall
