The Rhine is older than we thought

German researchers say fossil evidence shows the Rhine, one of Europe's major rivers, 5 million years older than the original, according to UPI news agency.

Fossils of the species Paradicrocerus elegantulus are found in the Rhine

"It is thought that the Rhine is about 10 million years old," said Madelaine Bohme, an expert at Tubingen University's Center for Human Evolution and Ecology.

'But on the basis of considering fossils from an area near Sprendlingen, we believe the river is at least 5 million years older,' Ms. Bohme added.

According to the German expert, the age of sandbanks in the region, which contains many different fossils, is often the subject of scientific debate.

'For this reason, we tested a new sample with 300 fossils of mammals, leaves and fossil wood. During the study, we found teeth and bones of many different deer that lived in Central Europe in the middle of the Middle Miocene era, 14-16 million years ago, " she said.

Because the findings were found in the oldest alluvial layers of the Rhine, according to Mrs. Bohme, the river must be at least 5 million years older.