Palaeoloxodon

Palaeoloxodon is an extinct genus of elephant. 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 elephants, 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.

References[change | change source]

↑ 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.

[probos_mass-1] 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.

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