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 



