25/09/2025
DEVCOM | TUSK TO DAWN: Cagayan unearths PH’s first-ever skull fossil of a stegodon
Cagayan is no stranger to history. It is where rivers whisper stories of the past and soil hides secrets older than memory. But nothing has brought the province closer to the dawn of time than the discovery of a stegodon skull, a fossil that carries the weight of a million years.
For decades, the Philippines’ fossil record showed only scattered fragments of these prehistoric elephants like isolated teeth, broken tusks, and bone shards. Yet in the heart of Solana, Cagayan, the most complete stegodon skull ever found in the country emerged, rewriting what we know about our ancient wildlife.
A SKULL ABOVE THE REST
This million-year-old fossil was stumbled upon by local residents and analyzed by paleontologists from the University of the Philippines Diliman and the University of Wollongong in Australia. The specimen, officially catalogued as CM-B-1-2021 at the Cagayan Museum and Historical Research Center, preserves portions of the frontal and nasal bones, a right cheek tooth (M1), and two small tusks.
Reports of skulls existed in Luzon decades ago, but none had ever been formally studied or preserved in museums. Without a complete skull, researchers could not unlock deeper information about stegodons’ size, age, or evolutionary ties. That gap finally closed with Cagayan’s find.
“Skulls are large, hollow, and easily broken before or during fossilization, so they almost never make it through thousands to millions of years intact. That’s why most Stegodon fossils from the Philippines are just isolated teeth or tusk fragments, with occasional bone fragments,” explained Meyrick U. Tablizo of UP Diliman’s National Institute of Geological Sciences.
Despite its deformation, the skull reveals classic Stegodon traits: roof-shaped ridges, V- to Y-shaped transverse valleys, and step-like enamel patterns. Its high ridge count, with conelets packed into each ridge, adds further confirmation of its identity. Through this skull, scientists could finally trace how these elephants lived, traveled, and adapted to the Philippines.
According to Tablizo, these ancient elephants were not confined by seas; they were strong swimmers that crossed open waters and moved from island to island in the absence of land bridges. Fossil evidence also shows that Luzon may have been home to at least three different forms of stegodon: a large-bodied type, a dwarfed variety, and this new intermediate form.
PRIDE IN PAST
The discovery stirred both scientific celebration and local pride. While residents in Cagayan interpreted it as evidence that their region retained stories older than written history, scientists celebrated it as an achievement in understanding the nation’s prehistoric past.
Tablizo emphasized that the context of such finds is as crucial as the fossil itself: “If someone happens to encounter a fossil, the best step is to contact the Nannoworks Laboratory, the Paleontological Society of the Philippines, or the National Museum of the Philippines. This ensures the find is properly studied and preserved, and it might even become a key piece in understanding our natural history.”
Today, the stegodon skull stands as both a scientific treasure and a cultural symbol. It provides researchers with fresh insights into evolution, migration, and biodiversity during the Pleistocene era. Beyond science, it also brings Cagayan into the spotlight as a site of immense paleontological importance, reinforcing the Philippines’ place on the map of global fossil discoveries.
The find is no longer just a relic. It has become a bridge to understanding how ancient species shaped the ecosystems of the islands we live on today.
FUTURE FOSSIL FRONTIERS
Looking ahead, researchers are now pushing for greater fossil preservation efforts in the country. By strengthening partnerships with local communities, academic institutions, and government agencies, they hope to ensure that future discoveries are protected and studied properly. Plans also include expanding museum collections, investing in advanced fossil analysis, and encouraging young Filipinos to take part in paleontology.
From the heart of Cagayan, the first-ever fossil skull of a stegodon rises as proof that our land holds stories deeper than time itself. More than a fossil, it is a symbol of pride, a mark of identity, and a reminder that the Philippines has a place in the grand tale of life on Earth.
From tusk to dawn, history awakens—and Cagayan proudly leads the way.
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Article by Keiji Ken Siriban
Layout by Augille Pascua
