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Primelephas

Primelephas
Temporal range: Miocene - Pliocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Subfamily: Elephantinae
Genus: Primelephas
Maglio 1970
Type species
Primelephas gomphotheroides
Maglio 1970
Other species

Primelephas korotorensis


Primelephas korotorensis

Primelephas is a genus of Elephantinae that existed during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. The name of the genus suggests 'first elephant'. These primitive elephantids are hypothesised to be the common ancestor of Mammuthus, the mammoths, and the closely allied genera Elephas and Loxodonta, the African and Eurasian elephants, diverging some four to six million years ago. Unusual for an elephant, it had four tusks. The type species, Primelephas gomphotheroides, was described by Vincent Maglio in 1970, the specific epithet indicating the fossil specimens were gomphothere-like. Primelephas korotorensis is the only other species to be assigned to the genus.



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