Primelephas
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| Primelephas Temporal range: Miocene - Pliocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Proboscidea |
| Family: | Elephantidae |
| Genus: | Primelephas Maglio 1970 |
Primelephas is a genus of Elephantidae that existed during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. The name of the genus suggests 'first elephant'. These primitive elephantids are hypothesised to be the common ancestor of Mammuthus, the mammoths, and the closely allied genera Elephas and Loxodonta, the African and Eurasian elephants, diverging some four to six million years ago.[1] Unusual for an elephant, it had four tusks. The type species, Primelephas gomphotheroides, was described by Vincent Maglio in 1970, the specific epithet indicating the fossil specimens were gomphothere-like. Primelephas korotorensis is the only other species to be assigned to the genus.
[edit] References
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009) |
- ^ Thomas MG, Hagelberg E, Jone HB, Yang Z, Lister AM (December 2000). "Molecular and morphological evidence on the phylogeny of the Elephantidae". Proc. Biol. Sci. 267 (1461): 2493–500. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1310. PMC 1690853. PMID 11197124. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1690853.
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