Palaeomastodon

Palaeomastodon
Temporal range: Late Eocene–Early Oligocene
P. beadnelli skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Eutheria
Superorder: Afrotheria
Order: Proboscidea
Illiger, 1811
Family: †Palaeomastodontidae
Genus: Palaeomastodon

Palaeomastodon an extinct genus of Proboscidea. Palaeomastodon fossils have been found in Africa, lived some 36-35 million years ago. They are believed to be the ancestors of elephants or mastodons. This genus is related to Moeritherium.[1]

Artistic representation by Heinrich Harder

Palaeomastodon had tusks, both upper and lower, and it had a trunk. It was 1 to 2 meters tall and weighed up to 2 tonnes. The lower tusks were flat rather than pointed cones, and were probably used to scoop plants from swampy water.

Artistic representation

Sources

Paleomastodon, http://www.elephant.se/palaeomastodon.php?open=Extinct%20Proboscidea

References

  1. The genus Palaeomastodon
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