Gomphotherium: Difference between revisions
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| accessdate = 2008-07-28}}</ref> It survived into the [[Pliocene]], and its remains have been found in France, Germany, Austria, Kansas, Pakistan and Kenya. |
| accessdate = 2008-07-28}}</ref> It survived into the [[Pliocene]], and its remains have been found in France, Germany, Austria, Kansas, Pakistan and Kenya. |
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[[Image:Gomphotherium.JPG|thumb|left|''Gomphotherium'' at the |
[[Image:Gomphotherium.JPG|thumb|left|''Gomphotherium'' at the [[Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History|Sam Noble Museum]]]] |
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[[Image:Extan4tuskedelephants.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration of two ''Gomphotherium'']] |
[[Image:Extan4tuskedelephants.jpg|thumb|left|Illustration of two ''Gomphotherium'']] |
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[[Image:Gomphotherium angustidens 1.JPG|thumb|left|''Gomphotherium angustidens'' jaw]] |
[[Image:Gomphotherium angustidens 1.JPG|thumb|left|''Gomphotherium angustidens'' jaw]] |
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Revision as of 20:33, 30 July 2008
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| Genus: | Gomphotherium Burmeister, 1837
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Gomphotherium (pronunciation: gom-fo-THEER-ee-um) ("Welded Beast") is an extinct genus of proboscid which evolved in the Early Miocene of North America and invaded Asia, Europe and Africa after a drop in sea level (probably during the Tortonian epoch).[1] It survived into the Pliocene, and its remains have been found in France, Germany, Austria, Kansas, Pakistan and Kenya.
The 3 m (10 ft) tall creature, also known as Trilophodon or Tetrabelodon, resembled a modern elephant but had four tusks instead of two: two on the upper jaw and two on the elongated lower jaw. The lower ones are parallel and shaped like a shovel and were probably used as such. Unlike modern elephants, the upper tusks were covered by a layer of enamel. Compared to elephants, the skull was more elongated and low. These animals probably lived in swamps or near lakes, using their tusks to dig or scrape up aquatic vegetation. In comparison to earlier proboscids, Gomphotherium had far fewer molars; the remaining ones had high ridges to expand their grinding surface.
A complete skeleton of Gomphotherium has been found at Mühldorf, Germany, in 1971.
References
- ^ Alberdi, M. T.; Prado, J. L.; Ortiz-Jaureguizar, E.; Posadas, P.; Donato, M. (2007), "Historical Biogeography of Trilophoont Gomphotheres (Mammalia, Proboscidea) Recontructed Applying Dispersion-Vicariance Analysis" (PDF), in Díaz-Martínez, E.; Rábano, I. (eds.), Proceedings of the 4th European Meeting on the Palaeontology and Stratigraphy of Latin America, Zaragoza Spain 17-19 September 2007, Madrid: Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, pp. 9–14, ISBN 978-84-7840-707-1, retrieved 2008-07-28