Primelephas

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 thought to be the common ancestor of Mammuthus, the mammoths, and the closely allied genera Elephas and Loxodonta, the Asian and African elephants, diverging some 4-6 million years ago. It had four tusks, which is a trait not shared with its descendants, but common in earlier proboscideans. The type species, Primelephas gomphotheroides, was described by Vincent Maglio in 1970, with the specific epithet indicating the fossil specimens were gomphothere-like. Primelephas korotorensis is the only other species to be assigned to the genus. All fossils found of the Primelephas have been found in Africa, primarily in modern day Chad, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

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This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: In recent articles, Primelephas gomphotheroides is considered to be a junior synonym of Primelephas korotensis, which is now the only species in the genus. See Mackaye et al. (2008): https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2008.03.007. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2023)

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Primelephas Temporal range: Late Miocene - Pliocene

Reconstruction of Primelephas
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Family:	Elephantidae
Subfamily:	Elephantinae
Genus:	†Primelephas Maglio, 1970
Type species
†Primelephas gomphotheroides Maglio, 1970
Species
†Primelephas gomphotheroides Maglio, 1970 †Primelephas korotorensis (Coppens, 1965)

Primelephas is a genus of Elephantinae^[1] that existed during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. The name of the genus suggests 'first elephant'. These primitive elephantids are thought to be the common ancestor of Mammuthus, the mammoths, and the closely allied genera Elephas and Loxodonta, the Asian and African elephants, diverging some 4-6 million years ago.^[2] It had four tusks, which is a trait not shared with its descendants, but common in earlier proboscideans. The type species, Primelephas gomphotheroides, was described by Vincent Maglio in 1970, with the specific epithet indicating the fossil specimens were gomphothere-like. Primelephas korotorensis is the only other species to be assigned to the genus. All fossils found of the Primelephas have been found in Africa, primarily in modern day Chad, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

References

[edit]

^ Shoshani, J.; Ferretti, M. P.; Lister, A. M.; Agenbroad, L. D.; Saegusa, H.; Mol, D.; Takahashi, K. (2007). "Relationships within the Elephantinae using hyoid characters". Quaternary International. 169–170: 174–185. Bibcode:2007QuInt.169..174S. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2007.02.003.
^ Thomas MG, Hagelberg E, Jone HB, Yang Z, Lister AM (December 2000). "Molecular and morphological evidence on the phylogeny of the Elephantidae". Proc. Biol. Sci. 267 (1461): 2493–500. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1310. PMC 1690853. PMID 11197124.

Genera of the order Proboscidea

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Afrotheria
Clade: Tethytheria

Paenungulatomorpha

see Paenungulatomorpha
Proboscidea	see below↓

Proboscidea

†Arcanotherium †Daouitherium †Eritherium †Khamsaconus? †Moeritherium †Numidotherium †Phosphatherium †Saloumia
†Barytheriidae	Barytherium Omanitherium
†Deinotheriidae	Chilgatherium Deinotherium Prodeinotherium

Elephantiformes

†Dagbatitherium †Eritreum †Hemimastodon †Palaeomastodon †Phiomia
†Mammutidae	Eozygodon Losodokodon Mammut Sinomammut Zygolophodon
†Choerolophodontidae	Afrochoerodon Choerolophodon
†Amebelodontidae	Afromastodon Amebelodon Aphanobelodon Archaeobelodon Eurybelodon Konobelodon Platybelodon Progomphotherium Protanancus Saegusaia Serbelodon Stenobelodon Torynobelodon
†"Trilophodont gomphotheres"	Blancotherium Cuvieronius Eubelodon Gnathabelodon Gomphotherium Notiomastodon Rhynchotherium Sinomastodon Stegomastodon
†"Tetralophodont gomphotheres"	Anancus Paratetralophodon Pediolophodon Tetralophodon
†Stegodontidae	Stegodon Stegolophodon
Elephantidae	Elephas Loxodonta †Mammuthus †Palaeoloxodon †Primelephas †Selenetherium †Stegodibelodon †Stegotetrabelodon †Phanagoroloxodon

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