The number of fossil species found in excavations in Tavas, Denizli, has reached 27.

Excavations have been ongoing since 2022 in the agricultural land in the Kayaca Neighborhood, under the direction of the Denizli Museum Directorate and the scientific consultancy of Associate Professor Dr. Ahmet İhsan Aytek, Faculty Member of the Anthropology Department of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University.

Excavations supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, in which scientists from various universities participate, provide important data for the world of paleontology.

Experts are collecting fossils, one by one, and examining them in a laboratory. This year's 18-day excavations have yielded fossils of animals estimated to have lived between 7 and 9 million years ago.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Aytek told an AA correspondent that fossils of giraffe, elephant, rhino, horse, horned mammal, hyena, feline, bird, reptile and anteater species have been found in the region to date.

Recalling the completion of the third year of excavations, Aytek said, "We have unearthed approximately 600 identifiable fossils. This year, we encountered the most giraffe finds. We have two different species of giraffe, which indicates the presence of both wooded and open areas in the region. This year, as in previous years, we found abundant fossils of rhinos, horses, and horned animals. Elephant fossils have also begun to emerge. With the new finds, the total number of net species we have found in the area has increased to 27. This number will increase even further after our work on birds."

Aytek, stating that the discovery of bird fossils is also important, said:

Bird bones, by their very nature, are not easily fossilized. New specimens have been added this year to the bird fossils found in previous years. This is a significant finding demonstrating the good state of fossil preservation in the area. While previous years' studies identified two different bird species, initial observations of this year's finds indicate the presence of one or two more previously unknown species in the area. This will provide us with a significant advantage in our systematic studies to identify these species.

Aytek, who stated that they found a fossil tooth belonging to the reptile genus varanus during this season's excavations, said, "It was only known from one place in Türkiye, and that was not an area where systematic excavations had been conducted. Therefore, our find will reveal important information about this animal and its habitat."

Aytek stated that the water sifting work, which began in 2024, continued this year, contributing to the dating of the area with small faunal and botanical remains.