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Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotheres are an extinct group of proboscideans related to modern elephants. First appearing in Africa during the Oligocene, they dispersed into Eurasia and North America during the Miocene and arrived in South America during the Pleistocene as part of the Great American Interchange. Gomphotheres are a paraphyletic group ancestral to Elephantidae, which contains modern elephants, as well as Stegodontidae. While most famous forms such as '' Gomphotherium'' had long lower jaws with tusks, the ancestral condition for the group, some later members developed shortened (brevirostrine) lower jaws with either vestigial or no lower tusks and outlasted the long-jawed gomphotheres. This change made them look very similar to modern elephants, an example of parallel evolution. During the Pliocene and Early Pleistocene, the diversity of gomphotheres declined, ultimately becoming extinct outside of the Americas. The last two genera, '' Cuvieronius'' ranging southern North America to w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Notiomastodon
''Notiomastodon'' is an extinct genus of gomphothere proboscidean (related to modern elephants), endemic to South America from the Pleistocene to the early Holocene. ''Notiomastodon'' specimens reached a size similar to that of the modern Asian elephant, with a body mass of 3-4 tonnes. Like other brevirostrine gomphotheres such as '' Cuvieronius'' and '' Stegomastodon'', ''Notiomastodon'' had a shortened lower jaw and lacked lower tusks, unlike more primitive gomphotheres like '' Gomphotherium''. The genus was originally named in 1929, and has been controversial in the course of taxonomic history as it has frequently been confused with or synonymized with forms called ''Haplomastodon'' and ''Stegomastodon''. Extensive anatomical studies since the 2010s have shown that ''Notiomastodon'' represents the only valid proboscidean in lowland South America, ''Haplomastodon'' is synonymous and ''Stegomastodon'' is limited to North America, with the only other gomphothere in South America ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amebelodontidae
Amebelodontidae is an extinct family (biology), family of large herbivorous proboscidean mammals related to elephants. They were formerly assigned to Gomphotheriidae, but recent authors consider them a distinct family. They are distinguished from other proboscideans by having flattened lower tusks (leading to the nickname "shovel tuskers") and very elongate mandibular symphysis (the fused frontmost part of the lower jaw). The lower tusks could grow to considerable size, with those of ''Konobelodon'' reaching in length. Their molar teeth are typically trilophodont (with only ''Konobelodon'' being fully tetralophodont), and possessed posttrite conules. In the past, amebelodonts' shovel-like mandibular tusks led to them being portrayed scooping up water plants, however, dental microwear suggests that they were browsers and mixed feeders. The lower tusks have been proposed to have had a variety of functions depending on the species, including stripping bark, cutting through vegetation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proboscidea
Proboscidea (; , ) is 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. Three living species of elephant are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. Extinct members of Proboscidea include the deinotheres, mastodons, gomphotheres and stegodonts. The family Elephantidae also contains several extinct groups, including mammoths and '' Palaeoloxodon''. Proboscideans include some of the largest known land mammals, with the elephant '' Palaeoloxodon namadicus'' and mastodon ''"Mammut" borsoni'' suggested to have body masses surpassing , rivalling or exceeding paraceratheres (the otherwise largest known land mammals) in size. The largest extant proboscidean is the African bush elephant, with a world record of size of at the shoulder and . In addition to thei ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Great American Interchange
The Great American Biotic Interchange (commonly abbreviated as GABI), also known as the Great American Interchange and the Great American Faunal Interchange, was an important late Cenozoic paleozoogeographic biotic interchange event in which land and freshwater fauna (animals), fauna migrated from North America to South America via Central America and vice versa, as the volcanic Isthmus of Panama rose up from the sea floor, forming a land bridge between the previously separated continents. Although earlier dispersals had occurred, probably over water, the migration accelerated dramatically about 2.7 million years (Ma (unit), Ma) ago during the Piacenzian age. It resulted from the joining of the Neotropical realm, Neotropic (roughly South American) and Nearctic realm, Nearctic (roughly North American) biogeographic realms definitively to form the Americas. The interchange is visible from observation of both biostratigraphy and nature (neontology). Its most dramatic effect is on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cuvieronius
''Cuvieronius'' is an extinct New World genus of gomphothere which ranged from southern North America to western South America during the Pleistocene epoch. Reaching a shoulder height of and a body mass of , it was on average shorter but comparable in body mass to an Asian elephant. ''Cuvieronius'' inhabited subtropical and tropical latitudes in environments ranging from grasslands to tropical rainforest. Among the last gomphotheres along with the South American ''Notiomastodon'', it became extinct as part of the end Pleistocene-extinction event, approximately 12,000 years ago, along with most other large mammals in the Americas. The extinctions followed the arrival of humans to the Americas, and evidence has been found for human hunting of ''Cuvieronius,'' which may have been a factor in its extinction. Taxonomy The species now known as ''Cuvieronius hyodon'' was among the first fossil animals from the New World to be studied. The first remains of this species were recovered ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sinomastodon
''Sinomastodon'' ("Chinese mastodont") is an extinct gomphothere genus (of order Proboscidea) known from the Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene of Asia, including China, Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and probably Kashmir. Extinct animals of Indonesia Description ''Sinomastodon'', in comparison to earlier gomphotheres, had a shortened (brevirostrine) lower jaw that lacked permanent tusks/incisors. The skull was proportionally relatively short. The upper tusks, which are circular in cross-section, are upward curving and lack enamel bands. The molar teeth were triolophodont and bunodont. One individual of ''S. hanjiangensis,'' suggested to about 30-years-old, is estimated to have been about tall and weighed . Taxonomy and evolution The taxonomic position of ''Sinomastodon'' is disputed. Some authors suggest that ''Sinomastodon'' originated from North American gomphotheres that migrated into Asia. Position according to Mothé et al. 2016 supporting this hypothesis, showing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anancus
''Anancus'' is an extinct genus of "tetralophodont gomphothere" native to Afro-Eurasia, that lived from the Tortonian stage of the late Miocene until its extinction during the Early Pleistocene, roughly from 8.5–2 million years ago. Taxonomy ''Anancus'' was named by Auguste Aymard in 1855. It is traditionally allocated to Gomphotheriidae, often as the only member of the subfamily Anancinae. Recently, some authors have excluded ''Anancus'' along with other tetralophodont gomphotheres from Gomphotheriidae, and regarded them as members of Elephantoidea instead. Description Two largely complete individuals of ''Anancus arvernensis'' reached shoulder heights of around , with a volumetric estimate suggesting a body mass of around , comparable to living African bush elephants. The tusks were largely straight and lacked enamel (though enamel was present in juvenilesTheodorou, G., Spjeldnaes, N., Hanken, N. M., Lauritzen, S. E., Velitzelos, E., Athanassiou, A., et al. (2000). Des ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gomphotherium
''Gomphotherium'' (; "nail beast" for its double set of straight tusks) is an extinct genus of gomphothere proboscidean from the Neogene of Eurasia, Africa and North America. It is the most diverse genus of gompothere, with over a dozen valid species. The genus is probably paraphyletic. Description Most species of ''Gomphotherium'' were similar in size to the Asian elephant, with ''G. productum'' (known from a 35-year-old male) measuring tall and weighing . The largest species ''G. steinheimense'', known from a complete 37-year-old male found in Mühldorf, Germany, measured up to tall and weighed . ''Gomphotherium'', like most basal Elephantimorpha, elephantimorphs, had an elongated lower jaw which bore tusks. Species of ''Gomphotherium'' are defined by their conservative molar morphology, which includes "trilophed intermediate molars, third molars with three to four loph(id)s, and pretrite half-loph(id)s typically with anterior and posterior accessory conules that form ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eubelodon
''Eubelodon'' is an extinct genus of gomphothere (a family in the order Proboscidea, which also includes modern elephants) which lived in North America during the Miocene Epoch. It contains a single species: ''Eubelodon morrilli''. Description ''Eubelodon'' is considered to be a trilophodont gomphothere. It has the highly unusual combination of retaining a long lower jaw, but having lost the lower tusks, a combination only shared with fellow North American gomphothere ''Gnathabelodon'' and the choerolophodontid '' Choerolophodon.'' Fossil distribution Fossils are restricted to what is now the Great Plains of the United States. Remains were found in the Poison Ivy Quarry, Antelope, Brown County, Nebraska, and Tripp County, South Dakota. Taxonomy ''Eubelodon'' was named by Erwin Hinckly Barbour in 1914. It was synonymized subjectively with ''Trilophodon'' by Osborn in 1918 and again by Tobien in 1973 with '' Gomphotherium''. It was assigned to Gomphotheriidae by Erwin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stegomastodon
''Stegomastodon'' ('roof breast tooth') is an extinct genus of gomphotheres. It ranged throughout North America from the Pliocene (early Blancan ~4 Ma), to the Early Pleistocene (early Irvingtonian, ~1.2 Ma). The former South American species have been synonymized with '' Notiomastodon platensis''. Description ''Stegomastodon mirificus'' is known from NMNH 10707, a roughly 30-year-old male, of which most of the skeleton has been found. Alive, it stood about tall, with a weight around . Unlike more primitive gomphotheres like ''Gomphotherium'', it lacked lower tusks and had a shortened lower jaw. The upper tusks curved upward and were about long, and lacked enamel bands. The tall head and robust lower jaw suggest a strong vertical bite. ''Stegomastodons third molars molars had at least 5 lophs (ridge-like structures), greater than previous gomphotheres. The strong bite and increased tooth complexity are suggested to be adaptations to a grazing diet. Origin and evolution '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Elephant
Elephants are the largest living land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant ('' Loxodonta africana''), the African forest elephant (''L. cyclotis''), and the Asian elephant ('' Elephas maximus''). They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae and the order Proboscidea; extinct relatives include mammoths and mastodons. Distinctive features of elephants include a long proboscis called a trunk, tusks, large ear flaps, pillar-like legs, and tough but sensitive grey skin. The trunk is prehensile, bringing food and water to the mouth and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. African elephants have larger ears and concave backs, whereas Asian elephants have smaller ears and convex or level backs. Elephants are scatter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gnathabelodon
''Gnathabelodon'' is an extinct genus of gomphothere (a sister group to modern elephants) endemic to North America that includes species that lived during the Middle to Late Miocene. ''"Gnathabelodon" buckneri'' Sellards, 1940 has been renamed '' Blancotherium''. Description It has been called the "spoon-billed mastodon" since its lower jaw was elongated and shaped like a shoe-horn or spoon. The flaring of the tip of the lower jaw was similar to that of the " shovel-tuskers" ('' Platybelodon'' and '' Amebelodon''); however, ''Gnathabelodon'' species are distinct in having no lower tusks whilst the "shovel tuskers" have broad, flattened lower tusks. The presence of a long lower jaw but no lower tusks is highly unusual among proboscideans, and only shared with '' Eubelodon'' and '' Choerolophodon.'' The upper tusks are large and curve outwards and upwards. With respect to dentition and overall body form, it was similar to species of '' Gomphotherium'', but Mothe et al. (2016) reco ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
