Fossil of prehistoric deer found in Argentina

The well-preserved fossil of a prehistoric deer has been discovered just to the north of Buenos Aires, the La Matanza University revealed on Monday. The fossil -- which hasn’t yet been given a definitive age -- included almost 70 percent of the animal, including its spine, extremities and teeth.

The discovery came from a site where 24 fossils of mammals and reptiles have been found in the last 17 years. “It’s amazing to see how its spine and neck remained in the ‘life position’,” said Jose Luis Aguilar, director of the Paleontological Museum of San Pedro, in the north of Buenos Aires province.

As well as an almost complete s e t of teeth and its spine, t h e skeleton also included more than 20 ribs, the pelvic bone, a rear leg and a part of a femur. This species of deer, from the Morenelaphus genus of which only fragmentary remains had been found until now, could reach up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds).