Elephas platycephalus

{{Speciesbox

| fossil_range = Middle Pleistocene

| image =

| image_caption =

| genus = Elephas

| species = platycephalus

| authority = Osborn, 1929

| extinct = yes

| synonyms = Platelephas platycephalus

}}

Elephas platycephalus is an extinct species of large herbivorous mammals that were closely related to Asian elephants. It lived between 130,000 and 700,000 years ago during the Middle Pleistocene epoch.{{cite book | title=Quaternary Extinctions: A Prehistoric Revolution | publisher=University of Arizona Press | author=Paul S. Martin, Richard G. Klein | year=1989 | pages=91 | isbn=9780816511006}} Fossils have been found in the upper Sivalik Hills.{{cite book | title=Fossil Mammals of Asia: Neogene Biostratigraphy and Chronology | publisher=Columbia University Press | author=Xiaoming Wang | year=2013 | pages=433 | isbn=9780231520829}}

Taxonomy

Author and researcher Vincent Maglio suspected that another species, Mammuthus meridionalis (syn. Elephas planifrons), was a direct ancestor of E. platycephalus since both of the species appear quite similar. However, upon closely studying the fronto-parietal region of the skull as well as upper molars of the specimens belonging to both species, it was concluded that the two species differed radically.{{cite journal | title=Skull characteristics of two proboscideans from the Upper Siwalik Subgroup of Nepal | publisher=Neues Jahrbuch fur Geologie und Palaontologie - Abhandlungen | author=Avinash Nanda | year=2002 | pages=22 }}

References

Category:Fossil taxa described in 1929

Category:Elephas

Category:Prehistoric elephants