The Use of CT Scans and 3D Modeling as a Powerful Tool to Assist Fossil Vertebrate Taxonomy

3D scans and 3D modeling are used to assist the taxonomy of a new unique fossil specimen of an elephant maxilla with molars heavily eroded by coastal sea waves, encrusted in extremely hard sediment, making the preparation and measurements with classical digital calipers impossible. The elephant fossil has been collected north of Poros on the coast at SE Kephallenia in consolidated fan- conglomerates and sands. The elephant maxilla is the first significant elephant fossil from Kephallenia and all the Ionian Islands. According to its dimensions and characteristics it is attributed to a new endemic island species, Elephas cephallonicus that lived isolated from the mainland 104.2 +/- 18.5 ka ago. The existence of an island endemic specimen at this period in Kephallenia is in full accordance with the palaeogeographic evolution of the Ionian Islands, which is strongly indicated by the natural climatic changes during the last hundred thousand years. The Elephas cephallonicus became extinct possibly during the last ice age.