The Ancestral Tree of the Proboscidea. Discovery, Evolution, Migration and Extinction Over a 50,000,000 Year Period

Abstract

Reviews long term research focused on the Proboscideans, outlining evolution and noting aspects of an ancestral tree constructed from knowledge gleaned over the past 30 years. The Proboscidean as outlined by the author extends through 50 million years from the Lower Eocene to Lower Oligocene to Recent time and holds 31 branches of phyla. It is characterizations included: defense by superior tusks; grinding teeth with rapid radiation into 31 independent lines of form adapted to highly diversified flora, extinction of mastodonts gradual while extinction of elephants relatively recent; migration from Africa throughout all continents and climates but Australia; the body and limbs unspecialized.