# Primelephas

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Extinct genus of mammals

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article needs to be updated. The reason given is: 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. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (July 2023) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Primelephas" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Primelephas Temporal range: Late Miocene - Pliocene Reconstruction of Primelephas Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Placentalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Subfamily: Elephantinae Genus: †Primelephas Maglio, 1970 Type species †Primelephas gomphotheroides Maglio, 1970 Species †Primelephas gomphotheroides Maglio, 1970 †Primelephas korotorensis (Coppens, 1965)

***Primelephas*** is a genus of [Elephantinae](/source/Elephantinae)[1] that existed during the [Miocene](/source/Miocene) and [Pliocene](/source/Pliocene) epochs. The name of the genus suggests 'first elephant'. These primitive elephantids are thought to be the common ancestor of *Mammuthus*, the [mammoths](/source/Mammoth), and the closely allied genera *[Elephas](/source/Elephas)* and *[Loxodonta](/source/Loxodonta)*, the Asian and African elephants, diverging some 4-6 million years ago.[2] It had four tusks, which is a trait not shared with its descendants, but common in [earlier proboscideans](/source/Deinotheriidae). The type species, *Primelephas gomphotheroides*, was described by Vincent Maglio in 1970, with the specific epithet indicating the fossil specimens were [gomphothere](/source/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.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Shoshani_etal_2007_1-0)** Shoshani, J.; Ferretti, M. P.; Lister, A. M.; Agenbroad, L. D.; Saegusa, H.; Mol, D.; Takahashi, K. (2007). "Relationships within the Elephantinae using hyoid characters". *Quaternary International*. 169–170: 174–185. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2007QuInt.169..174S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2007QuInt.169..174S). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.quaint.2007.02.003](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.quaint.2007.02.003).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Thomas MG, Hagelberg E, Jone HB, Yang Z, Lister AM (December 2000). ["Molecular and morphological evidence on the phylogeny of the Elephantidae"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1690853). *Proc. Biol. Sci*. **267** (1461): 2493–500. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1098/rspb.2000.1310](https://doi.org/10.1098%2Frspb.2000.1310). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [1690853](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1690853). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [11197124](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11197124).

v t e Genera of the order Proboscidea Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Superorder: Afrotheria Clade: Tethytheria Paenungulatomorpha see Paenungulatomorpha Proboscidea see below↓ Proboscidea Proboscidea †Arcanotherium †Daouitherium †Eritherium †Khamsaconus? †Moeritherium †Numidotherium †Phosphatherium †Saloumia †Barytheriidae Barytherium Omanitherium †Deinotheriidae Chilgatherium Deinotherium Prodeinotherium Elephantiformes †Dagbatitherium †Eritreum †Hemimastodon †Palaeomastodon †Phiomia †Mammutidae Eozygodon Losodokodon Mammut Sinomammut Zygolophodon †Choerolophodontidae Afrochoerodon Choerolophodon †Amebelodontidae Afromastodon Amebelodon Aphanobelodon Archaeobelodon Eurybelodon Konobelodon Platybelodon Progomphotherium Protanancus Saegusaia Serbelodon Stenobelodon Torynobelodon †"Trilophodont gomphotheres" Blancotherium Cuvieronius Eubelodon Gnathabelodon Gomphotherium Notiomastodon Rhynchotherium Sinomastodon Stegomastodon †"Tetralophodont gomphotheres" Anancus Paratetralophodon Pediolophodon Tetralophodon †Stegodontidae Stegodon Stegolophodon Elephantidae Elephas Loxodonta †Mammuthus †Palaeoloxodon †Primelephas †Selenetherium †Stegodibelodon †Stegotetrabelodon †Phanagoroloxodon See also: Plesielephantiformes Numidotheriidae Elephantimorpha Elephantida Elephantoidea

Taxon identifiers Primelephas Wikidata: Q134480 Wikispecies: Primelephas EoL: 4454782 GBIF: 4825636 IRMNG: 1019274 Open Tree of Life: 3607215 Paleobiology Database: 43267

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