Unfortunately not, but the story is still incredible!

Skull of Palaeoloxodon falconeri, from Museum of Natural History of Verona. So, did good old Polyphemus actually exist and dominate the Mediterranean coasts with his kind thousands of years ago? Certainly, that’s what many people in antiquity believed upon observing these peculiar skulls, of which several specimens have been found scattered across the Mediterranean islands.
A keener eye may already have guessed what kind of animal these incredible remains belong to—and no, they aren’t as large as the ones we’re used to seeing.
We’re talking about elephants, but ones as small as humans. These extraordinary creatures, part of the Palaeoloxodon family, offer us a window into the past and a key to understanding the connection between natural history and mythological legends. Their existence has fascinated both scientists and storytellers alike, sparking tales of Cyclopes and giants.

The skeleton of the Paleoloxodon falconeri specimen exhibited at the central building of the University of Catania The Sicilian dwarf elephants were an insular subspecies of elephants, including Palaeoloxodon falconeri, the smallest ever discovered, standing just about one meter tall. These animals were the result of a phenomenon known as island dwarfism, an evolutionary process that reduces the size of larger species to adapt to the limited resources of an island environment. While an African elephant can weigh up to six tons, Palaeoloxodon falconeri weighed only about 200–250 kg, roughly the size of a large horse.
These elephants lived during the Pleistocene, an era marked by climatic changes that isolated populations of larger elephants, leading to the evolution of these diminutive forms. Their fossilized remains have been discovered in various locations across Sicily and other Mediterranean islands, such as Malta, Crete, and Cyprus. Each island developed its own adapted species, with sizes varying according to local ecological pressures.
The skulls of dwarf elephants feature a large central cavity where the nasal passage was located, used to support the trunk. In ancient times, this characteristic was easily mistaken for the eye socket of a single, massive eye.
This resemblance may have inspired the stories of Cyclopes, the one-eyed giants with an eye in the center of their foreheads, as recounted in Homer’s Odyssey. The early inhabitants of Sicily and Greek settlers, upon finding these fossils, might have interpreted the skulls as the bones of mythological creatures.
These specimens continue to be the subject of scientific study, with notable works such as the article “Palaeohistology reveals a slow pace of life for the dwarfed Sicilian elephant,” published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports. This research, utilizing X-rays and bone microtomography, revealed that these animals had a much longer lifespan compared to the elephants inhabiting Africa and Asia today. Their growth was slow, reaching sexual maturity around 15 years of age, with a total life expectancy of about 70 years.

And if all we’ve said so far isn’t enough to spark your imagination, know that Cyclopes are far from being creatures confined to myths and legends of the past—they are anything but dead! These mysterious beings continue to thrive in the collective imagination, finding new life thanks to the creativity of hundreds of artists, writers, filmmakers, and game designers worldwide. Every day, Cyclopes are reinvented and reimagined, enriched with details that draw from tradition. Their stories intertwine with new interpretations, from classical representations of brutish and solitary giants to more modern portrayals as complex beings, often teetering between monstrosity and melancholy.
Among the most fascinating versions of Cyclopes we’ve come across is the one envisioned by digital artist Simon Green, who has masterfully blended the anatomy of dwarf elephant skulls with a series of highly believable and captivating visual interpretations.
In an age where the line between reality and imagination grows increasingly blurred, creatures like Cyclopes continue to demonstrate the power of human storytelling. Whether in a painting, a film, a video game, or a digital sculpture, Cyclopes remain immortal symbols of a past that never ceases to captivate, challenge, and inspire us. Through art, science, and fantasy, these one-eyed giants seem to remind us that their watchful eye is still upon us, observing from the depths of myth, ready to remind us of the boundless potential of human imagination.

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