330 



HISTORICAL PALEONTOLOGY 



a length of nine feet, and which have the simple curvature of 

 the tusks of the existing Elephants. Amongst the PUocene 

 Elephants the two most important are the Elephas meridionalis 

 and the Elephas anttquus. Of these, the Elephas meridio7ialis 

 (fig. 251) is found abundantly in the Pliocene deposits of 



-]\Iolar tooth of Elephas jneridionalis, one-third of the natural size. 

 Pliocene and Post-Pliocene. 



Southern Europe and England, and also survived into the 

 earlier portion of the Post- Pliocene period. Its molar teeth 

 are of the type of those of the existing African Elephant, the 

 spaces enclosed by the transverse enamel-plates being more 

 or less lozenge-shaped, whilst the curvature of the tusks is 

 simple. The Elephas aiiiiquus (fig. 252) is very generally 



Fig. 252. — Alolar tooth of Elephas antiquus, one-third of the natural size. 

 Pliocene and Post-Pliocene. 



associated with the preceding, and it survived to an even 

 later stage of the Post-Pliocene period. The molar teeth are 

 of the type of the existing Indian Elephant, with compara- 

 tively thin enamel-ridges, placed closer together than in the 

 African type ; whilst the tusks were nearly straight. 



Amongst the Pliocene Carnivores, we meet with true Bears 

 ( Ursics Aj-z'erfiefisis), Hysenas (such as Hyce7ia Hipparionum), 

 and genuine Lions (such as the Felis angustus of North 

 America) ; but the most remarkable of the beasts of prey of 



