Gomphothere

Gomphotheres Temporal range: 12–1.6 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Miocene - Pleistocene
Platybelodon skeleton in a Hubei, China, museum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Superfamily:	†Gomphotherioidea
Family:	†Gomphotheriidae
Genera
? Gnathabelodon Anancus  ? Archaeobelodon  ? Protanancus  ? Amebelodon  ? Platybelodon  ? Torybelodon  ? Serbelodon Eubelodon Cuvieronius Gomphotherium Haplomastodon Megabelodon Morrillia Sinomastodon Rhynchotherium Serbelodon Stegomastodon Stegotetrabelodon Synconolophus Notiomastodon Pediolophodon Pentalophodon Phiomia Platybelodon Tetralophodon  ? Paratetralophodon  ? Bunolophodon Torynobelodon

Gomphotheriidae is a diverse taxonomic family of extinct elephant-like animals (proboscideans), called gomphotheres. They were widespread in North America during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, 12-1.6 million years ago. Some lived in parts of Eurasia, Beringia and, following the Great American Interchange, South America. From about 5 million years ago onwards, they were slowly replaced by modern elephants, but the last two South American species, Cuvieronius, did not finally become extinct until possibly as recently as 9,100 BP, and Stegomastodon remains have been dated to 6,060 BP in the Valle del Magdalena, Colombia. Gomphotheres also survived in Mexico and Central America until the end of the Pleistocene.

Gomphothere remains are common at South American Paleo-indian sites. Some examples include the early human settlement at Monte Verde, Chile, dating to approximately 14,000 years ago, and the Valle del Magdalena, Colombia.

A gomphotere remain was found in the El Fin del Mundo site in Sonora, Mexico's clovis location, being the first time such association is found in that part of the continent where gomphoteres were thought to be extinct 30,000 years ago.

Gomphotheres differed from elephants in their tooth structure, particularly the chewing surfaces on the molar teeth. Most had four tusks, and their retracted facial and nasal bones prompt paleontologists to believe that gomphotheres had elephant-like trunks. The early gomphotheres, such as Phiomia, had elongated upper and lower jaws, with relatively short tusks. Two lineages appear to have arisen from these ancestors. One, including animals such as Anancus, developed the short lower jaw typical of modern elephants, while the others, including Platybelodon, developed the lower jaw into an elongated 'shovel', and shortened the upper jaw.

Classification

Archaeobelodon filholi mandible   Molar tooth of Tetralophodon   Gomphotherium

The systematics and phylogeny of gomphotheres are unclear and the group might in fact be paraphyletic. The genus Gnathabelodon is often placed in its own family, the Gnathabelodontidae, and Archaeobelodon, Protanancus, Amebelodon, Platybelodon and Serbelodon are sometimes regrouped in a separate family, the Amebelodontidae. The genera Anancus, Tetralophodon, Stegomastodon, Paratetralophodon and Cuvieronius are placed by some authors within the gomphotheres, while others consider them as true Elephantidae.^{[citation needed]}

In 1933, Serbelodon burnhami (now Amebelodon burnhami) was newly discovered and named after the celebrated scout Frederick Russell Burnham.

External links

• Description of a Gomphothere exhibit from the website of Sierra College