Primelephas

Overview

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.

Primelephas
Temporal range: Late Miocene - Pliocene
Reconstruction of Primelephas
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Placentalia
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.

Classification

In 2023, Juha Saarinen & Adrian M. Lister proposed the following cladogram:[3]

Proboscidea Phylogeny (Saarinen & Lister, 2023)










Controversies

A study published in 2008 by Mackaye Hassane Taïsso, Yves Coppens, Patrick Vignaud Fabrice Lihoreau and Michel Brunel suggests that the second species to be discovered, Primelephas korotorensis, is not valid, being a junior synonym part of the type species.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ 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. Bibcode:2000PBioS.267.2493T. doi:10.1098/rspb.2000.1310. PMC 1690853. PMID 11197124.
  3. ↑ Saarinen, Juha; Lister, Adrian M. (2023). "Fluctuating climate and dietary innovation drove ratcheted evolution of proboscidean dental traits". Nature. 7 (9): 1490–1502. Bibcode:2023NatEE...7.1490S. doi:10.1038/s41559-023-02151-4. PMC 10482678. PMID 37580434.
  4. ↑ MacKaye, Hassane Taïsso; Coppens, Yves; Vignaud, Patrick; Lihoreau, Fabrice; Brunet, Michel (2008). "De nouveaux restes de Primelephas dans le Mio-Pliocène du Nord du Tchad et révision du genre Primelephas". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 7 (4): 227–236. Bibcode:2008CRPal...7..227M. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2008.03.007.


Related

No related data.

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