THE MASTODON 199 



in the theory of evolution, with elephants hav- 

 ing an intermediate pattern of teeth. 



There is usually, or at least often, another 

 point of difference between elephants and mas- 

 todons, for many of the latter not only had 

 tusks in the upper, but in the lower jaw, and 

 these are never found in any of the true ele- 

 phants. The lower tusks are longer and larger 



Fig. 38. — Tooth of Mastodon and of Mammoth. 



in the earlier species of mastodon than in 

 those of more recent age and in the latest spe- 

 cies, the common American mastodon, the lit- 

 tle lower tusks were usually shed early in life. 

 These afford some hints of the relationships of 

 the mastodon ; for in Europe are found re- 

 mains of a huge beast well called Dinotheri- 

 um, or terrible animal, which possessed lower 

 tusks only, and these, instead of sticking out 



