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Mammoth Evolution
Below is an evolutionary tree of elephants. Mammoths share its closest ancestor (Primeelephas) with the
modern Asian and African elephants that we have today.
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Characteristics of the skull, wrist and teeth show that Moeritherium was a member of the elephant family.
Moeritherium is thought not to be an ancestor to the Mammoths, but a branch of the elephant family which
died out.
Deinotherium was
a cousin of the Mammoth, and stood about 4 meters tall at the shoulder.
It had a trunk similar to that of today's elephants only slightly shorter.
Deinotherium had two downward pointing tusks in the lower jaw which were
probably used for stripping bark off of trees.
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