Elephas ekorensis Temporal range: Early
Pliocene
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Proboscidea |
Family: | Elephantidae |
Genus: | Elephas |
Species: | †E. ekorensis
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Binomial name | |
†Elephas ekorensis Maglio, 1970
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Elephas ekorensis is an extinct species of elephant. Fossils have been found in East Africa dating as far back as the Early Pliocene age, between 5 and 4.2 million years ago. [1] It is the earliest species placed in the genus Elephas. [2] [3] [4] It has been suggested to have been a grazer or mixed feeder (both browsing and grazing). [5] Its placement in the genus of Elephas has been questioned, as the teeth are similar to those of the contemporaneous Loxodonta adaurora. A number of specimens assigned to it likely actually belong to other species. [5]