Straight-tusked elephant
Extinct species of elephant native to Europe and West Asia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) is an extinct species of elephant that inhabited Europe and Western Asia during the Middle and Late Pleistocene (781,000–30,000 years Before Present). One of the largest known elephant species, mature bulls on average had a shoulder height of 3.81–4.2 metres (12.5–13.8 ft) and a weight of 10.8–15 tonnes (24,000–33,000 lb). Like modern elephants, the straight-tusked elephant lived in herds, flourishing during interglacial periods, when its range would extend as far north as Great Britain. Skeletons found in association with stone tools and wooden spears suggest they were scavenged and hunted by early humans, including Neanderthals. It is the ancestral species of most dwarf elephants that inhabited islands in the Mediterranean.
Straight-tusked elephant | |
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Skeleton in Rome | |
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Skull in Germany | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Proboscidea |
Family: | Elephantidae |
Genus: | †Palaeoloxodon |
Species: | †P. antiquus |
Binomial name | |
†Palaeoloxodon antiquus | |
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Approximate range of P. antiquus | |
Synonyms | |
Elephas antiquus (Falconer & Cautley, 1847)
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