''Eubelodon'' is an extinct genus of

gomphothere Gomphotheres are any members of the diverse, extinct taxonomic family Gomphotheriidae. Gomphotheres were elephant-like proboscideans, but do not belong to the family Elephantidae. They were widespread across Afro-Eurasia and North America during ...

(a family in the order

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. From ...

, which also includes modern elephants) which lived in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

during the

Miocene Epoch The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

. It contains a single species: ''Eubelodon morrilli''. Like other gomphotheres, it had a superficially elephant-like appearance with a trunk and

tusk 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 c ...

Fossil distribution

Fossils are restricted to what is now the

Great Plains The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...

of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Remains were found in the Poison Ivy Quarry,

Antelope The term antelope is used to refer to many species of even-toed ruminant that are indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelope comprise a wastebasket taxon defined as any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals ...

Brown County, Nebraska Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 3,145. Its county seat is Ainsworth. The county was established in 1883 and named for two members of the legislature who reported the ...

, and

Tripp County, South Dakota Tripp County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,624. Its county seat is Winner. The county was created in 1873, and was organized in 1909. It is named for lawyer, judge, and diplomat Bar ...

Taxonomy

''Eubelodon'' was named by

Erwin Hinckly Barbour Erwin Hinckley Barbour (April 5, 1856 – May 10, 1947) was an American geologist and paleontologist. He was born near Oxford, Ohio, and was educated at Miami University and at Yale, where he graduated in 1882. He was assistant paleontologist to ...

in 1914. It was synonymized subjectively with ''Trilophodon'' by Osborn in 1918 and again by Tobien in 1973 with ''

Gomphotherium ''Gomphotherium'' (; "welded beast") is an extinct genus of proboscids from the Neogene and early Pleistocene of Eurasia, Africa, North America and Asia. As of 2021, two species, ''G. annectens'' and possibly ''G. subtapiroideum'', are also kno ...

''. It was assigned to

Gomphotheriidae Gomphotheres are any members of the diverse, extinct taxonomic family Gomphotheriidae. Gomphotheres were elephant-like proboscideans, but do not belong to the family Elephantidae. They were widespread across Afro-Eurasia and North America dur ...

by Erwin Barbour in 1914. It was then assigned to Rhynchotheriinae by McKenna and Bell in 1997, Carroll in 1988, Shoshani and Tassy in 1996, Lambert and Shoshani in 1998, and Shoshani and Tassy in 2005. Taxonomic position among trilophodont Gomphotheres:

References

Miocene mammals of North America Gomphotheres Miocene proboscideans Prehistoric placental genera Fossil taxa described in 1914 {{paleo-proboscidean-stub