Gomphotheres Fossil range: Miocene - Pliocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Superfamily: Elephantoidea Family: Gomphotheriidae
Genus
? Gnathabelodon  ? Archaeobelodon  ? Protanancus  ? Amebelodon  ? Platybelodon  ? Serbelodon Gomphotherium Sinomastodon Eubelodon Rhynchotherium Stegomastodon Haplomastodon Notiomastodon Cuvieronius  ? Anancus  ? Tetralophodon  ? Paratetralophodon

The Gomphotheres are a diverse group of extinct elephant-like animals (proboscideans) that were widespread in North America during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, 12-1.6 million years ago. Some also lived in parts of Eurasia and Beringia, and until recently, in South America. The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... Platybeladon Skeleton Located at the Rock and Bonsai museum, Wuhan, Hubei, China. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is a method by which biologists group and categorize species of organisms. ... “Animalia” redirects here. ... Typical Classes See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Subclasses & Infraclasses Subclass †Allotheria* Subclass Prototheria Subclass Theria Infraclass †Trituberculata Infraclass Metatheria Infraclass Eutheria Mammals (class Mammalia) are warm-blooded, vertebrate animals characterized by the production of milk in female mammary glands and the presence of hair, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the... Groups Jozaria (extinct) Anthracobunidae (extinct) Moeritheriidae (extinct) Euproboscidea Numidotheriidae (extinct) Barytheriidae (extinct) Deinotheriidae (extinct) Elephantiformes Phiomiidae (extinct) Palaeomastodontidae (extinct) Hemimastodontidae (extinct) Euelephantoidea Choerolophodontidae (extinct) Amebelodontidae (extinct) Gnathabelodontidae (extinct) Gomphotheriidae (extinct) Elephantidae Mammutidae (extinct) Proboscidea is an order containing only one family of living animals, Elephantidae, the elephants, with three species... Gomphothere is a name given to a dirverse group of extinct elephant-like animals, proboscideans). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Species Gomphotherium is an extinct genus of proboscid. ... Species Tobien , 1986 Tang et Zong, 1987 (Matsumoto, 1924) (Van der Maarel, 1932) Sinomastodon (Chinese Mastodont) is an extinct genus of Proboscidea (family Gomphotheriidae), from the Late Miocene to the Early Pleistocene deposits of south-east Asia (China, Japan, Indonesia). ... Species Stegomastodon (roof nipple tooth) is an extinct genus of proboscid. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Species Anancus is an extinct genus of proboscid. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Proboscidea is an order including only one extant family, Elephantidae or the elephants, with three species: the Savannah Elephant and Forest Elephant (which were collectively known as the African Elephant), and the Asian Elephant (formerly known as the Indian... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Miocene Epoch is a period of time that extends from about 23. ... The Pliocene epoch (spelled Pleiocene in some older texts) is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5. ... Eurasia African-Eurasian aspect of Earth Eurasia is the Earths largest landmass covering about 21215121321km² compared with the Americas (approximately 42,000,000 km²), Africa (approximately 30,000,000 km²), and Antarctica (approximately 13,000,000 km²). Eurasia comprises the traditional continents of Europe and Asia. ... The Bering land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a land bridge roughly 1600 km (1000 miles) north to south at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at various times during the ice ages. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...

Gomphotheres differed from elephants in their tooth structure, particularly the chewing surfaces on the molar teeth. Most had four tusks, and their retracted facial and nasal bones prompt paleontologists to believe that Gomphotheres had elephant-like trunks. A smiling humans visible teeth. ... Molars are the rearmost and most complicated kind of tooth in most mammals. ... Pacific Walrus at Cape Peirce A tusk is an extremely long tooth of certain mammals that protrudes when the mouth is closed. ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology (from Greek: paleo, ancient; ontos, being; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ...

Examples of Gompotheres are the extinct genera Gomphotherium, Platybelodon, Amebelodon and the very recently extinct Cuvieronius. Species Gomphotherium is an extinct genus of proboscid. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

The systematic and phylogeny of gomphotheres are unclear and the group might in fact be paraphyletic. The genus Gnathabelodon is often placed in its own family, the Gnathabelodontidae, and Archaeobelodon, Protanancus, Amebelodon, Platybelodon and Serbelodon are sometimes regrouped in a separate family, the Amebelodontidae. The genera Anancus, Tetralophodon, Stegomastodon, Paratetralophodon and Cuvieronius are placed by some authors within the gomphotheres, while others consider them as true Elephantidae. Paraphyletic - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Species Anancus is an extinct genus of proboscid. ... Species Stegomastodon (roof nipple tooth) is an extinct genus of proboscid. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Proboscidea is an order including only one extant family, Elephantidae or the elephants, with three species: the Savannah Elephant and Forest Elephant (which were collectively known as the African Elephant), and the Asian Elephant (formerly known as the Indian...

External links

• Gomphothere: An Elephant Ancestor, an article from the Dallas Museum of Natural History
• Description of a Gomphothere exhibit from the website of Sierra College