Scientific Classification
| Scientific Name |
Palaeoloxodon antiquus |
Straight-tusked Elephant in the Natural Museum
Straight-tusked Elephant Description
- The straight-tusked elephant is thought to be the close cousin of modern day Asian Elephant.
- It lived 781,000 – 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene period.
- They had legs longer than those of modern elephants.
- Straight-tusked elephants were able to eat foliage 8 meters above the ground.
- They could have probably died out of food shortage.
- Their tusks were slightly curved.
Size & Weight
- SHOULDER HEIGHT: 4 meters (13 ft)
- WEIGHT: 11.3 tonnes (11.1 long tons; 12.5 short tons)
- TONGUE LENGTH: 80 cm
Fossil Discovery
Spain (Aridos), Germany (Grobern, Ehringsdorf), Italy (Notarchirico)
Habitat
Temperate, wooded habitats
Range
Western Europe
Diet
Plants
Group Name
Herd
Group Size
15 individuals
Conservation Status
Extinct
