Palaeoloxodon
.JPG)
Palaeoloxodon is an extinct genus of proboscideans. The genus originated in Africa during the Pliocene era, and expanded into Eurasia during the Pleistocene era.
The genus contains some of the largest known proboscideans, over 4 metres (13 ft) tall at the shoulders, including the European straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), and the southern Asian Palaeoloxodon namadicus. P namadicus was largest known land mammal.[1]
The genus also contains species of dwarf elephants which evolved by insular dwarfism on islands in the Mediterranean, some only 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height, the smallest elephants known.
Palaeoloxodon Media
Phylogeny showing the placement of Palaeoloxodon antiquus in relation to other elephantids based on nuclear genomes, after Palkopoulou et al. 2018, showing introgression from African forest elephants and mammoths
Skeleton of an adult male Palaeoloxodon recki, the earliest species of Palaeoloxodon
References
- ↑ Larramendi, A. (2015). "Shoulder height, body mass and shape of proboscideans" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 60. doi:10.4202/app.00136.2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2023-03-31.