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Elephantoidea
Elephantimorpha is a clade of proboscideans that contains the Mammutidae (mastodons), as well as Elephantida ( amebelodonts, choerolophodonts, gomphotheres, stegodontids and elephantids). All members of Elephantimorpha have the horizontal tooth replacement typical of modern elephants, where the cheek teeth progressively migrate forwards in the jaw like a conveyor belt. This a distinctive characteristic of this group (synapomorphy) and is not found in more primitive non-elephantimorph Elephantiformes. Members of Elephantida are distinguished from mammutids by the reduced angular process of the lower jaw. Like modern elephants, the ancestor of Elephantimorpha was likely capable of communicating via infrasonic calls. While early elephantimorphs generally had lower jaws where the fused front part (the mandibular symphysis) was greatly elongated with well developed lower tusks/incisors, from the Late Miocene onwards, many groups convergently developed brevirostrine (shortened) lower j ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stegodontids
Stegodontidae is an extinct family of proboscideans from Africa and Asia (with a single occurrence in Europe) from the Early Miocene (at least 17.3 million years ago) to the Late Pleistocene. It contains two genera, the earlier ''Stegolophodon'', known from the Miocene of Asia and the later ''Stegodon,'' from the Late Miocene to Late Pleistocene of Africa and Asia (with a single occurrence in Greece) which is thought to have evolved from the former. The group is noted for their plate-like lophs on their teeth, which are similar to elephants and different from those of other extinct proboscideans like gomphotheres Gomphotheres are an extinct group of proboscideans related to modern Elephant, 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 Ple ... and mammutids, with both groups having a proal jaw movement utilizing forward strokes of the lower jaw. These similar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Proboscideans
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 their enor ... [...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] |
Tetralophodon
''Tetralophodon'' ("four-ridged tooth") is an extinct genus of "tetralophodont gomphothere" belonging to the superfamily Elephantoidea, known from the Miocene of Afro-Eurasia. Taxonomy and evolution The genus ''Tetralophodon'' (meaning "four-ridged tooth") was named in the mid-19th century with the discovery of the specialized teeth. ''Tetralophodon'' is suggested to have descended from the "trilophodont gomphothere" ''Gomphotherium.'' "Tetralophodont gomphotheres" like ''Tetralophodon'' are thought to be ancestral to Elephantidae, elephantids and Stegodontidae, stegodontids,'''' with African species of ''Tetralophodon'' suggested to be the ancestor of elephantids. ''Tetralophodon'' is also suggested to be the ancestor of the fellow "tetralophodont gomphothere" ''Anancus''. Description A large individual of the European species ''T. longirostris'' is suggested to have been tall at the shoulder and up to 10 tonnes in weight. The first and second molar teeth are tetralophodont (b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Gomphotheres
Gomphotheres are an extinct group of proboscideans related to modern Elephant, 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 Paraphyly, 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 Plesiomorphy and symplesiomorphy, 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, ''Cuv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gomphothere
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 weste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paratetralophodon
Paratetralophodon is an extinct genus of proboscidean from late Neogene deposits in India and China. Although traditionally classified in the family Gomphotheriidae, recent studies find it to be more closely related to modern elephants. ''Paratetralophodon hasnotensis'', found in the Siwalik Hills of northern India North India is a geographical region, loosely defined as a cultural region comprising the northern part of India (or historically, the Indian subcontinent) wherein Indo-Aryans (speaking Indo-Aryan languages) form the prominent majority populati ..., is the only unequivocal species in the genus, but the Far Eastern form ''"Tetralophodon" exoletus'' is tentatively considered referable to this genus based on similarities with ''P. hasnotensis'', while specimens from Lantian, China, appear to represent an unnamed species of ''Paratetralophodon''.Shi-Qi Wang; Haruo Saegusa; Jaroon Duangkrayom; Wen He; Shan-Qin Chen (2017). "A new species of Tetralophodon from the Linxia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paraphyly
Paraphyly is a taxonomic term describing a grouping that consists of the grouping's last common ancestor and some but not all of its descendant lineages. The grouping is said to be paraphyletic ''with respect to'' the excluded subgroups. In contrast, a monophyletic grouping (a clade) includes a common ancestor and ''all'' of its descendants. The terms are commonly used in phylogenetics (a subfield of biology) and in the tree model of historical linguistics. Paraphyletic groups are identified by a combination of synapomorphies and symplesiomorphies. If many subgroups are missing from the named group, it is said to be polyparaphyletic. The term received currency during the debates of the 1960s and 1970s accompanying the rise of cladistics, having been coined by zoologist Willi Hennig to apply to well-known taxa like Reptilia (reptiles), which is paraphyletic with respect to birds. Reptilia contains the last common ancestor of reptiles and all descendants of that ancest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gomphotherium Annectens
''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 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 trefoil-patterne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Serbelodon
''Serbelodon'' is an extinct genus of proboscidean. It had tusks and a trunk. It lived in North America during the Miocene Epoch, and it was closely related to ''Amebelodon''. They had a diet that consisted of C3 plants which include fruits, tree cortex, herbs, and leaves. ''Serbelodon burnhami'' was named after Frederick Russell Burnham Major (rank), Major Frederick Russell Burnham Distinguished Service Order, DSO (May 11, 1861 – September 1, 1947) was an American scout and world-traveling adventurer. He is known for his service to the British South Africa Company and to t ... the brother-in-law of the fossil's discoverer John C. Blick. References Amebelodontidae Miocene mammals of North America Prehistoric mammals of North America Miocene proboscideans Prehistoric placental genera Fossil taxa described in 1933 {{paleo-proboscidean-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
