Kos

Kos is the third largest Greek island, which is part of the Dodecanese island chain in the south-eastern part of the Aegean Sea. The name Kos is first used in the Iliad with other ancient names include Meropis, Cea, and Nymphaea.

The island is part of a chain of mountains from which it became separated after earthquakes and subsidence that occurred in ancient times. The remnants of these mountains include the islands of Kalymnos and Kappari which are separated by an underwater chasm approximately 70 metres deep, as well as the volcano of Nisyros and the surrounding islands.

There is a wide variety of rocks in Kos which is related to its geographical formation. Prominent among these are the Quaternary layers in which the fossil remains of mammals such as horses, hippopotami and elephants have been found. The fossilised molar of an elephant of gigantic proportions was presented to the Palaeontology Museum of the University of Athens.