GOMPHOTHERE

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.
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.
Examples of Gompotheres are the extinct genera ''Gomphotherium'', ''Platybelodon'', ''Amebelodon'' and the very recently extinct ''Cuvieronius''.
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.

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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
An artist's rendition of this elephant-like animal is displayed on the floor of Los Angeles' Natural History Museum (Exposition Blvd. in Los Angeles). He is shown with a rather platypus-like mouth/trunk, scooping up fish in a manner much as a spoonbill bird would do.