Choerolophodon
Extinct genus of mammals From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Extinct genus of mammals From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Choerolophodon is an extinct genus of proboscidean that lived during the Miocene of Eurasia and Africa. Fossils of Choerolophodon have been found in Africa, Southeast Europe, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and China.[1][2][3][4]
| Choerolophodon Temporal range: Miocene, | |
|---|---|
| |
| Skull | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | †Choerolophodon Schlesinger, 1917 |
| Species | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The tusks growing from the upper jaw are long and strongly curved,[5] with one large mostly complete tusk from the Chalkidiki Peninsula of Greece having a total length of around 2.5 metres (8.2 ft), with a likely total weight when complete of around 70 kilograms (150 lb).[6] The molar teeth are trilophodont and bunodont. The half-lophids are chevroned. The accessory conules are multiplied (choerodont), and the enamel is corrugated (ptychodont).[7] The lower jaw has an unusual combination of being long, but lacking tusks/incisors, a trait only shared among proboscideans with the North American gomphothere genera Eubelodon and Gnathabelodon.[8] It has been suggested that instead of teeth, the end of the lower jaw housed a keratinous cutting blade.[9]
Numerous species of Choerolophodon are known: C. pentelicus, C. anatolicus and C. chioticus from Southeast Europe (Turkey (Yamula Dam in Kayseri), Greece, Bulgaria) and the Middle East, C. palaeindicus and C. corrugatus from the Indian subcontinent, C. guangheensis from China, and C. ngorora and C. zaltaniensis from Africa.[10] The name Choerolophodon was erected for "Mastodon" pentelicus from Greece by Schlesinger (1917) based on the discovery of new material from the pentelicus type locality.[11] A 2022 study considered Choerolophodon to be a basal member of Elephantida, with Amebelodontidae and Gomphotheriidae more closely related to each other than either is to Choerolophodon.[12]
Dental microwear analysis of specimens from Greece suggest that these individuals were grazers,[10] while mesowear analysis of specimens from East Africa suggest varying browsing and grazing-dominated mixed feeding diets, depending on locality.[13]
The genus is first known during the Early Miocene in Africa and South Asia. They subsequently dispersed across Asia and into southeast Europe. The genus became extinct at the end of the Miocene.[7]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
