"early-mid Eocene"
The
Elephant Sanctuary, Hohenwald, Tennessee
Discovery Channel :: Walking With Prehistoric Beasts
ABC - Science - Beasts - Moeritherium Factfile
There seems no evidence of a relationship between Moeritherium and elephant particularly in light of Barytherium.
"early-mid Eocene"
Barytherium is clearly just a short tusk variety of elephant. This means that we have an elephant in the "early-mid Eocene". This also means that Paleomastodon and Phiomia can not be transitional between elephant and any thing else.
"early Oligocene"
Click here to see picture
Mastodons, Ancestors of Elephants
Curiously this type is depicted with less of a trunk than Barytherium. Given the fact that an elephant's trunk is soft tissue that unusually are not preserved, it is likely that these reconstructions have been influenced more by evolutionary assumptions than reality. Besides Barytherium eliminates Paleomastodon as being transitional between elephant and any ancestor. Paleomastodon seems to have been a variety of elephant.
"early Oligocene"
Phiomia is probably extinct varieties of elephant. Given the fact that an elephant's trunk is soft tissue that unusually are not preserved, it is likely that these reconstructions have been influenced more by evolutionary assumptions than reality.
"early Miocene"
Toy
Animal The Miniature Zoo - collectible replica miniature animal
toys
Toy Animal
Gompotherium (Mastodon) Miniature Zoo
Gomphotherium was clearly a variety of elephant.
North Dakota Geological Survey
Mastodon State Historic Site in Imperial, MO
Clearly a variety of elephant.
"late Miocene"
Several pictures of fossil bones.
Clearly a variety of elephant.
"latest Miocene"
Primelephas is simply a variety of elephant.
Loxodonta is just the genus of African elephant
Elephas
Elephas is the genus of the Asian and Indian Elephants
Mammuthus
© Canadian Museum of Nature
The following link has a Mammoth skeleton.
P.M.A. Photo - Mammoth skeleton in Natural History Gallery
Mammuthus is simply a variety of elephant.
This actually depicts at least two distinct kinds of animals: elephant and Moeritherium.
Return to: Transitional Forms?