THE EVOLUTION OF THE ELEPHANT 



the continents- except South America and Australia. In the 

 Oligocene and Eocene epochs there were no true elephants, 

 and the mastodons appear to have Hved only in Africa. 



The earliest known member of the elephant family is a 

 tiny form, just over two feet high, whose remains have been 

 found near the Fayum Oasis, in Egypt. It is of upper Eocene 

 age, and is a mastodon known as Moeritherium. This prim- 

 itive mastodon may have given rise to the true elephants, 

 although its neck is short and heavy, its feet are short and 

 compact, its head is of normal length, and it has nearly a full 

 set of teeth. The second incisor in the upper jaw, however, 

 is large, and the third incisor and the canine tooth are small 

 and appear to be on their way to being lost. It also has 

 incisors in the lower jaw, the second one large, but no third 

 incisor or canine tooth. In each jaw there are six low- 

 crowned grinding teeth. This form seems to have lived near 

 rivers and ponds and to have subsisted on soft vegetation, the 

 large upper and lower incisors suggesting that they were- 

 used to dig up bulbs and roots. Remains of mastodons in 

 this stage of development are found only in Egyptian beds. 



In the Oligocene beds, which lie just above the Eocene, the 

 remains of another elephant-like form are found. This form 

 which is called Palaeoniastodon, has the second incisor of 

 both the upper and lower jaws considerably enlarged. Of 

 the other teeth, the first and third incisors and the canine of 

 the upper jaw have disappeared, as has also the first incisor 

 of the lower jaw; all that is left of the front teeth in either 

 jaw is the second incisor. These incisors of the lower jaws 

 are flattened and the jaw is elongated, so that in spite of the 

 fact that the neck has shortened the mouth still reaches the 

 ground. The two incisors of the upper jaws have greatly 

 enlarged and spread to either side. Between these upper 

 tusks lay the upper lip, prolonged enough to reach to the end 



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