Gomphotherium, Ancestor of the Elephant 10 Million Years Texas
Gomphothermium, Ancestor of the Elephant, 10 Million Years Old, Texas Gomphotherium ("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). It survived into the Pliocene, and its remains have been found in France, Germany, Austria, Kansas, Pakistan and Kenya. Skull of Gomphotherium (previously known as Tetrabeladon) Gomphotherium, also known as Trilophodon or Tetrabelodon, stood around 3 metres ( ft) high, and resembled a modern elephant in most respects. However, it had four tusks; two on the upper jaw and two on the elongated lower jaw. The lower tusks 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.
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Photo credit: © Phil Degginger / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: ancestor, angustidens, elephant, elephants, fossil, fossils, gomphotherium, gomphothermium, miocene, museum, paleontological, paleontology, proboscid, skeleton, tetrabelodo, trilophodon
