From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Platybelodon ("flat-tusk") was a genus of large herbivorous mammal related to the elephant (order Proboscidea). It lived during the Miocene Epoch, about 15-4 million years ago. Although it thrived during its time, it did not survive past the Miocene and is now extinct. Some have speculated that it became too specialized and was unable to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Platybelodon was previously believed to have fed in the swampy areas of grassy savannas using its teeth to shovel up aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation. However, wear patterns on the teeth suggest that it used its lower tusks to strip bark from trees. Platybelodon was very similar to the Amebelodon, another gomphothere species. Another possibility is that it used its shovel-tusks to dig for water in dry seasons.
Due to the shape of the two lower teeth, which are worn by many gomphothere species (such as Platybelodon and Amebelodon) they are popularly known as shovel tuskers.
[edit] Species
- P. barnumbrowni (Barbour, 1931)
- P. danovi (Borissiak, 1928)
- P. grangeri Osborn, 1929)
- P. loomisi (Barbour, 1929)
[edit] References
- Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life. Simon & Schuster.
- Jordi Agusti and Mauricio Anton. (2002): Mammoths, Sabertooths, and Hominids. Pg.90,Columbia University Press.
- Jayne Parsons.(2001): Dinosaur Encyclopedia. Pg.260, Dorling Kindersley.
- David Norman. (2001): The Big Book Of Dinosaurs. Pg.420-421, Welcome Books.
- Hazel Richardson.(2003): Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals (Smithsonian Handbooks). Pg.173, Dorling Kindersley.
- photo of museum reconstruction of Platybelodon
[edit] See also
This prehistoric mammal-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
