| Elephas hysudricus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Teeth ofElephas hysudricus from the species description byHugh Falconer andProby Thomas Cautley | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Proboscidea |
| Family: | Elephantidae |
| Genus: | Elephas |
| Species: | †E. hysudricus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Elephas hysudricus | |
| Synonyms | |
Hypselephas hysudricus | |
Elephas hysudricus is an extinctelephantspecies known from thePleistocene of Asia.[1] It is thought to be ancestral to the livingAsian elephant, from which it is distinguished by the molar teeth having a lower crown height and a lower lamellae number. Remains of the species are primarily known from theIndian subcontinent, with the most important remains coming from theSiwalik Hills. The oldest remains of the species in the Siwaliks are placed at around 2.6 million year ago at the beginning of theEarly Pleistocene, with the youngest dates in the Siwaliks during theMiddle Pleistocene around 0.6 million years ago, though it likely persisted on the subcontinent later than this based on remains found elsewhere.[2]
Remains likely attributable to the species are also known from theLevant in Israel and Jordan, dating to the late Middle Pleistocene, likely sometime between 500-100,000 years ago.[2][3] Isotopic analysis of specimens from the Indian subcontinent suggests that early members of the species were likely primarily grazers, but shifted towards mixed feeding (bothbrowsing and grazing) after the arrival of the substantially larger elephant speciesPalaeoloxodon namadicus to the region.[4] It is suggested to be closely related and possibly ancestral to the extinctElephas hysudrindicus from the Pleistocene of Java in Indonesia.[2][5]
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