A 500,000-year-old ivory fossil was found recently at the Mongolia Autonomous Prefecture of Bortala in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Geologists from the Xinjiang Normal University confirmed that the ancient ivory fossil existed 500,000 years ago. They based their assessment on its features and surrounding geographical conditions.

It is rare to find ancient ivory fossil in Xinjiang, and the fossil discovered at Bortala is the first one ever found in the region.

The milk-yellow ivory fossil was about 130 centimeters long. The fossil broke into three parts in the process of excavation, and experts estimate that the whole ivory fossil would have been between 160-170 centimeters long.

Experts said the discovery of the fossil will be of great importance to the study on geography and climate change in northwest China, as well as of high academic and geographical research value.
 
(Xinhua News Agency October 4, 2004)