''Palaeomastodon'' an extinct genus of

Proboscidea The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family ( Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Fr ...

. ''Palaeomastodon'' fossils have been found in Africa, where they lived some 36-35 million years ago. They are believed to be the ancestors of

elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...

or mastodons. ''Palaeomastodon'' lived in marshy semi aquatic swamps during the middle late

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', ...

to the early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but t ...

. It may have used its upper pair of tusks for scraping bark off trees. ''Palaeomastodon'' was a very early form of elephant and thus had a very short trunk. ''Palaeomastodon'' had

tusks Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine teeth, as with pigs and walruses, or, in the case of elephants, elongated incisors. Tusks share ...

, both upper and lower, and it had a trunk. It was about tall at the shoulder and weighed about . The lower tusks were flat rather than pointed cones, and were probably used to scoop plants from swampy water. ''Palaeomastodon'' was known to have their ears located towards the top of their heads, to make sure their sensory organs remained dry. In addition, their sharp tusks were used as a defense weapon.

References

Elephantiformes Oligocene proboscideans Eocene proboscideans Eocene mammals of Africa Oligocene mammals of Africa Transitional fossils Prehistoric placental genera Fossil taxa described in 1901 {{paleo-proboscidean-stub