- Anancus
Taxobox
name = "Anancus"
fossil_range = LateMiocene to EarlyPleistocene
regnum =Animal ia
phylum =Chordata
classis =Mammalia
ordo =Proboscidea
familia =Gomphotheriidae
genus = "Anancus"
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "A. alexeevae"
* "A. arvernensis"
* "A. cuneatus"
* "A. perimensis"
* "A. sinensis"
* "A. sivalensis"
* "A. osiris"
* "A. petrocchii"
* "A. kenyensis""Anancus" is an extinct gomphothere
genus of the orderProboscidea that lived in latePliocene and earlyPleistocene , 3-1.5 MYA.The 2.5 m (8 ft) tall animal closely resembled a modern
elephant and had two tusks, whereas other gomphotheres had four. Aside from its somewhat shorter legs, "Anancus" had one major difference compared to modern elephants: its tusks were much longer, up to 4 m (13 ft) long. The tusks were defence weapons. The molars were not composed of lamellae like those of true elephants, but hadcusp s, liketapir andpig molars; "Anancus" lived inforest s, eating fromtree s andshrub s and digging out tubers and roots in the forest floor, and it died out when these forests gave way tograss lands.Although not as famous, "Anancus" was at least as big as its cousins the
mammoths .References
*cite book|last=Benes|first=Josef|title=Prehistoric Animals and Plants|pages=p. 263|location= Prague|publisher=Artua|year=1979
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