The Proboscidea of the Past

[Spalea]

" Modern reconstructions based on partial and skeletal remains reveal that mastodons were very similar in appearance to elephants and, to a lesser degree, mammoths, though not closely related to either one. Compared to mammoths, mastodons had shorter legs, a longer body and were more heavily muscled, a build similar to that of the current Asian elephants. The average body size of the species M. americanum was around 7 feet 7 inches in height at the shoulders, corresponding to a large female or a small male. Large males were up to 9 feet 2 inches in height. Among the largest male specimens, the 35-year-old AMNH 9950 was 9.5 feet tall and weighed 7.8 tonnes. "

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