GomphotheresAncient Four-Tusked Elephant
An ancient Elephant Ancestor, Gomphotheres have both upper and lower tusks.
At a height of 8ft.(2.4M), it lived about 13 to 1.6 Million Years Ago. These prehistoric elephants have low and elongated skulls. They ranged widely in North America and Florida during the Miocene and Pliocene Periods. The last ones going extinct in North America during the Pliocene Period were only left in Florida. Many Gomphophere fossils can be found here. They are considered to be the most successful and diverse group of Elephants or Proboscideans.
These Prehistoric Florida Mammals have a distinctive chewing surface on their molar teeth that distinguishes them from other ancient elephants. When the teeth were worn, a cloverleaf pattern called “trefoils” can be seen on the enamel.
The upper tusks of these giant prehistoric animals have a straight and distinctive enamel band on them. On some species the lower tusks were flattened and paired together like a flat shovel, lending to the name “Shovel-Tuskers”.
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