''Pediolophodon'' is an extinct

elephantoid Elephantoidea is a taxonomic group that contains the elephants as well as their closest extinct relatives. The following cladogram shows the relationships among elephantoids, based on hyoid The hyoid bone (lingual bone or tongue-bone) () is a ...

proboscid The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomy (biology), taxonomic order (biology), order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (biology), family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger ...

genus from the middle to late

Miocene 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 recen ...

of North America (

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

and

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

). ''Pediolophodon'' was a close relative of elephants (members of the

Elephantinae Elephantinae is a subfamily of mammals in the family Elephantidae and includes the largest existing land animals. Three species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. Elephantida ...

subfamily of

Elephantidae Elephantidae is a family (biology), family of large, herbivorous proboscidean mammals collectively called elephants and mammoths. These are terrestrial animal, terrestrial large mammals with a snout modified into a Elephant#Trunk, trunk and teeth ...

) and would have appeared superficially similar to them, but was not itself a true elephant. Two species are recognized, ''P. campester'' and ''P. fricki''. Both were originally assigned to the Old World genus ''

Tetralophodon ''Tetralophodon'' ("four-ridged tooth") is an extinct proboscidean genus belonging to the superfamily Elephantoidea. Taxonomy The genus ''Tetralophodon'' (meaning "four-ridged tooth") was named in the mid-19th century with the discovery of the ...

'', but discoveries in the Kepler Quarry, Nebraska, showed these taxa to be generically distinct.W. D. Lambert. 2007. New tetralophodont gomphothere material from Nebraska and its implications for the status of North American Tetralophodon. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 27(3):676-682.

References

Elephantoidea Miocene proboscideans Miocene mammals of North America Prehistoric placental genera Paleontology in Nebraska {{paleo-proboscidean-stub