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War Elephant Myths Debunked by DNA
The Institute for Genomic Biology ^ | January 20, 2014 | Staff

Posted on 01/20/2014 6:06:44 PM PST by lbryce

click here to read article


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1 posted on 01/20/2014 6:06:44 PM PST by lbryce
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To: SunkenCiv

GGG material?


2 posted on 01/20/2014 6:14:48 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Fight Tapinophobia in all its forms! Do not submit to arduus privilege.)
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To: lbryce
“What everyone thinks about war elephants is wrong,” said Alfred Roca

" ... in fact, even I am wrong in what I think on this particular matter."

3 posted on 01/20/2014 6:18:13 PM PST by ClearCase_guy (Anti-Complacency League! Baby!)
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To: lbryce
“What everyone thinks about war elephants is wrong,” said Alfred Roca

I've feared this day would come...

4 posted on 01/20/2014 6:18:15 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: Flycatcher

Firesign Theatre told us “Everything You Know Is Wrong” way back in 1974.Great album by the way.


5 posted on 01/20/2014 6:22:54 PM PST by Lawgvr1955 (Sic Semper Tyrannis)
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To: lbryce

Caesar invaded Britain in 54 and 55 BC. On one of those invasions when Caesar reached the Thames, the one fordable place available to him had been fortified with sharpened stakes, both on the shore and under the water, and the far bank was defended. Second Century sources state that Caesar used a large war elephant, which was equipped with armour and carried archers and slingers in its tower, to put the defenders to flight. When this unknown creature entered the river, the Britons and their horses fled and the Roman army crossed over and entered Cassivellaunus’ territory


6 posted on 01/20/2014 6:28:44 PM PST by Portcall24
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To: Lawgvr1955

I remember them. Original, funny stuff.


7 posted on 01/20/2014 6:34:10 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: freedumb2003; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...
Absolutely! The last major battle using (African) elephants in the Med basin was Thapsus, at the close of the second phase of the Pompeian War.

8 posted on 01/20/2014 6:40:20 PM PST by SunkenCiv (;http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: SunkenCiv

>>The last major battle using (African) elephants in the Med basin was Thapsus, at the close of the second phase of the Pompeian War.<<

Well, that and the Battle for Gondor.


9 posted on 01/20/2014 6:46:30 PM PST by freedumb2003 (Fight Tapinophobia in all its forms! Do not submit to arduus privilege.)
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To: lbryce
So the mystery is solved. The GOP is made up of descendants of Ptolemy's elephants.
10 posted on 01/20/2014 6:53:50 PM PST by Truth29
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To: freedumb2003

;’)


11 posted on 01/20/2014 7:23:16 PM PST by SunkenCiv (;http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: Portcall24

http://www.stcharlesprep.org/01_parents/oneil_j/Useful%20Links/AP%20Latin%20Assignments/HW/The%20Gallic%20Wars.pdf


12 posted on 01/20/2014 7:25:02 PM PST by SunkenCiv (;http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: Portcall24

http://www.attalus.org/translate/polyaenus8A.html#23.5


13 posted on 01/20/2014 7:26:01 PM PST by SunkenCiv (;http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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To: Truth29
LOL…with just one minor adjustment, it is a TRUE account. "...unable to stand the smell and the trumpeting of the Donkeys, and terrified, I suppose, also by their great size and strength, Ptolemy's elephants at once turn tail and take to flight before they get near them.”
14 posted on 01/20/2014 7:43:05 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: lbryce

So they investigated the possibility of “smaller” African elephants, but never considered the possibility of “larger” Asian elephants? Elephants were used widely in battles in India; what if all the really big Asian elephants have been wiped out over time from being killed in battles (and thus the genetics for “big asian elephant” removed from the gene pool), so all that are left are what we see today? There’s already evidence that elephants as a population have smaller tusks than their ancestors, simply because those with the genes for big tusks were so efficiently hunted that not enough of them survived to pass their genes along.


15 posted on 01/20/2014 7:45:34 PM PST by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
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To: freedumb2003

The Battle of the Pelennor fields pre-dates Thapsus, and those were Oliphaunts, not African elephants; different species altogether.


16 posted on 01/20/2014 7:48:00 PM PST by Little Pig (Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici.)
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To: Lawgvr1955; Flycatcher

Don’t Crush That Dwarf, Hand Me the Pliers


17 posted on 01/20/2014 7:52:34 PM PST by Pelham (Obamacare, the vanguard of Obammunism)
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To: Pelham

Don’t forget Shoes For Industry.


18 posted on 01/20/2014 7:55:43 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: Flycatcher

malmorg in plano


19 posted on 01/20/2014 7:59:04 PM PST by Pelham (Obamacare, the vanguard of Obammunism)
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To: Pelham

Lol. OK, now you’re stumping me.


20 posted on 01/20/2014 8:00:21 PM PST by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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