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.



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.