Primelephas

{{Short description|Extinct genus of mammals}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{Update|date=July 2023|reason=In recent articles, Primelephas gomphotheroides is considered to be a junior synonym of Primelephas korotensis, which is now the only species in the genus. See Mackaye et al. (2008): https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2008.03.007}}

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{{Automatic taxobox

|fossil_range=Late Miocene - Pliocene

|image= Primelephas gomphotheroides.png

|image_caption= Reconstruction of Primelephas

|taxon=Primelephas

|authority=Maglio, 1970

|type_species={{extinct}}Primelephas gomphotheroides

|type_species_authority=Maglio, 1970

|subdivision_ranks=Species

|subdivision=*{{extinct}}Primelephas gomphotheroides Maglio, 1970

• {{extinct}}Primelephas korotorensis (Coppens, 1965)

}}

Primelephas is a genus of Elephantinae{{Cite journal |last1=Shoshani |first1=J. |last2=Ferretti |first2=M. P. |last3=Lister |first3=A. M. |last4=Agenbroad |first4=L. D. |last5=Saegusa |first5=H. |last6=Mol |first6=D. |last7=Takahashi |first7=K. |title=Relationships within the Elephantinae using hyoid characters |doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2007.02.003 |journal=Quaternary International |volume=169-170 |pages=174–185 |year=2007 |bibcode=2007QuInt.169..174S }} that existed during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. The name of the genus suggests 'first elephant'. These primitive elephantids are thought to be the common ancestor of Mammuthus, the mammoths, and the closely allied genera Elephas and Loxodonta, the Asian and African elephants, diverging some 4-6 million years ago.{{cite journal |vauthors=Thomas MG, Hagelberg E, Jone HB, Yang Z, Lister AM |title=Molecular and morphological evidence on the phylogeny of the Elephantidae |journal=Proc. Biol. Sci. |volume=267 |issue=1461 |pages=2493–500 |date=December 2000 |pmid=11197124 |pmc=1690853 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2000.1310}} It had four tusks, which is a trait not shared with its descendants, but common in earlier proboscideans. The type species, Primelephas gomphotheroides, was described by Vincent Maglio in 1970, with the specific epithet indicating the fossil specimens were gomphothere-like. Primelephas korotorensis is the only other species to be assigned to the genus. All fossils found of the Primelephas have been found in Africa, primarily in modern day Chad, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda.