Further revision of the fossil Elephantidae of Southern Africa
Date
1961-08-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research
Abstract
The South African fossil Metarchidiskodon griqua is regarded as indeterminable
and hence as a nomen vanum; the generic name thus also falls away. A new
method for representing graphically the main dimensional features of elephant
molar teeth is applied to the fossil species from southern and East Africa. It is
suggested that the genus Palaeoloxodon is not represented in these regions and that
most of the extinct elephants must be placed in Archidiskodon. The species
distinguished are A. subplanifrons, A. broomi, A. exoptatus, A . recki and A.
transvaalensis, while A. africanavus and A. archidiskodontoides are of uncertain
status. The North African "Elephas" atlanticus is placed in Loxodonta and the
South African species zulu is regarded as a synonym. It is considered that the
Pleistocene elephants of Africa have evolved within the continent itself.
Description
None
Keywords
Elephantidae; Southern Africa
Citation
None