Stegodontids: The Lance Tuskers

The first half of the Miocene saw the rapid spread and diversification of Proboscideans. As their ancestral African continent pushed northwards and collided with Eurasia, these trunked mammals ventured out across new lands, becoming well established in North America by the Middle Miocene. The most derived clade of Proboscideans were the Elephantoids, being the only forms to survive into modern times. Stegodontids were a basal lineage of Elephantoids that were native to Africa and Asia, with the highly successful genus Stegodon producing up to 13 species. Some of these, such as S. zdanskyi, were enormous animals up to 13.7 feet tall and 12.7 tonnes in weight, while many insular forms that dwelt in Japan, the Philippines and Flores were far smaller. Stegodon persisted into the Late Pleistocene in China.
Another Elephantoid group, the 'Tetralophodont Gomphotheres' were also widespread at around the same time as the Stegodontids. Once thought to be Gomphotheres, recent studies have found them to be close relatives of modern elephants. Some genera, such as Anancus, possessed highly elongated tusks up to 14 feet long. Generally forest dwelling animals, these 'Gomphotheres' died out in Afro-Eurasia roughly 2 million years ago but persisted in North America until about 300,000 years ago. It is possible that the extinction of both groups was caused by climate change during the second half of the Pleistocene, reducing suitable savannah forest habitats, although this remains debated.
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[@denizen9998]

Now thinking about it, I wish that the American woodland Mastodon would have survived more so than any of the various mammoths.

[@bkjeong4302]

Especially because their habitat was actually INCREASING when they went extinct. Edit: The other guy is wrong about mastodons only being able to survive in spruce forests. Their remains have been found in plenty of places that never had spruce forests, such as Florida and even Guatemala.

[@Ispeakthetruthify]

@@bkjeong4302 Forested habitats were indeed increasing. But the kind of woodlands and forests mastodons thrived in(primarily Spruce), were being replaced by different kinds of forests(primarily deciduous) as the world warmed, and the ice age came to an end. Mastodons were specialists feeders, and a drastic change to their primary food source, was a catastrophic blow to them.

[@bkjeong4302]

@@Ispeakthetruthify Mastodons also occurred in deciduous forests, actually. They even lived in tropical rainforests in Guatemala. Not to mention that boreal forests (including spruce forests) expanded after the last glacial due to the Laurentian Ice Sheet going away. So no, that WASN’T catastrophic for mastodons and actually increased the amount of available habitat.

[@andywomack3414]

The mammoths outlasted the first civilizations of Mesopotamia.

[@Bootes_Void]

@@bkjeong4302you might be right but the other guy is definitely right since mastodons are now extinct.

[@matthiasfloren2610]

Anancus is such a cool genus with those enormous tusks basicly almost as long as it's body. Such a familiar yet strange Proboscidean.

[@silkworm6861]

Proboscidean are fascinating, thanks! Would appreciate if you talked in metric consistently (in first half of the video it was metric followed by Imperial, afterwards it was just Imperial).

[@925bear]

This video made my day. Thank you Dr. Polaris

[@johnnyrepine937]

Now I'm picturing a historical fiction in which not all of the North or South American megafauna went extinct, and the indigenous people used them, not only as beasts of burden, but, specifically in the case of elephants, terraforming and other construction projects, as well as riding them into combat. Can you imagine the conquistadors essentially coming into contact with Hannibal's war elephants?

[@debbys-abqnm4537]

The elephants employed by the indigenous people could be created (by writer) as having at least as many smarts as a chimp or gorilla as the elephants are quite talented with their trunks. They don't mind working but have unionized and zero cruelty by humans will be tolerated. The better they are treated, fed and made comfortable, the better companions they will be as they also see uses for the talents of humans. These days Elephant Nature Park rescues working animals (who have awful hard lives) and gives them and any babies what is hoped will be life-long security and lots of friendships. I don't think African elephants will tolerate being trained, but these days they are less the victims of illegal hunting and snaring, and humans have created many reserves for them and other endangered animals to live. So you have a very good idea for basically an alternative history with the potential for a series of books. See author Harry Turtledove who enjoys writing complex alt history stories, though he works more with humans and aliens (World War series).

[@highfive7689]

Another excellent episode, Dr. Polaris! I wonder that if we had no living members of the Proboscideans to have seen and experienced the trunk in these large and varied family of creatures. Would we have guessed that they had a trunk, or just a rather large flat nose? Would it be the opposite controversy of How many other extinct varieties of creatures' morphologies we have been, and are wrong, about. Thank you for your program, Doctor! 🦊✨✨

[@jgrandson5651]

Thankfully we would have frozen mammoths with trunks, but its a incredibly bizarre apendice

[@dr.polaris6423]

That’s a very interesting concept. Darren Naish and John Conway wrote about this issue in their book All Yesterdays, with illustrations of shrink wrapped modern animals. Their reconstruction of an elephant based only on the skeleton shows an animal with a bulbous round nose instead of a trunk, with the distinctive large ears also lacking.

[@highfive7689]

@@dr.polaris6423 I saw that KZbin ate part of my comment - lol. The creature I was referring to in a present controversy is the Elasmotherium. Whose horn was and now isn't as imposing - lol. Best Illusionist trick in modern history. The transforming shapeshifting Iganodon's historical record is better though. Happy New year, Doctor.

[@eliletts1680]

Happy New Year! Great episode as usual! It is amazing how so many genera and species of elephant-like animals used to exist in our world!

[@dr.polaris6423]

I always find this remarkable as well!

[@alistairdiren5790]

Knowing how big Adult Komodo Dragons are, Stegodon Floriensis would definitely form defensive circles around calves and Younger members with the Adults facing forward with their long Tusk that maybe able to pierce the Thick hide of Komodo Dragons or use em to send the Giant Lizards flying with one swipe of their tusks or trunks.

[@melvinshine9841]

I swear, some prehistoric "elephants" were trying too hard with the tusk thing.

[@dr.polaris6423]

Good observation there! Gave me a chuckle when I read this.

[@brq267]

Anancus: Hey, look at how long my tusks are! Mammoth: Well, look at how curly my tusks are! Deinotherium: Pathetic! My tusks are on my chin! Gomphothere: Amateurs! I have four of them!

[@just_a_guy9688]

You say that as if it's a bad thing.

[@shafqatishan437]

@@brq267 Zygolophodon had the longest tusks ever. Tusks alone were upto 7 meters in length! You should've included the shovel teeth as well.

[@joeelliottproductions2043]

AWSOME job and happy new year man

[@thelaughinghyenas8465]

Greetings, Dr. Polaris. This video is really interesting. Please have a wonderful and very productive new year.

[@MrBargill]

Mother Nature stuck with that Proboscidean template...

[@Year2047]

Happy New Year! Loved the episode! May your channel have massive growth in 2022.

[@juresimovic3885]

Happy new year Dr.Polaris!!!!!

[@PurpleRhymesWithOrange]

Excellent start to the New Year. Also your audio is sounding excellent here, sometimes levels have been quite low.

[@Burt1038]

as a wise man once said: everyone loves a good elephant.

[@lilitheden748]

Happy New Year from Belgium! I’m looking forward to seeing what new videos you’re going to make this year. Hopefully you get a lot new subscribers. You deserve it. Your videos are professional and easy to understand.

[@choptop81]

The idea of giant storks hunting elephant relatives is beyond insane

[@ninjadolphin01]

Love the extinct proboscidean content! any chance you'll lever cover Deinotherium? I've been fascinated with them forever and there isn't a single decent video on KZbin anout them.

[@daniell1483]

Cool animals! I can just imagine those huge tusks being put to work in mating, self-defense may be, etc. Something about big animals just always gits the right spot.

[@cosmo6122]

Love this channel

[@DiscoDashco]

Clicked on this for Stegodot[o]ids, mind blown not expecting to see a concept of something called Tetralophodon.

[@bradsullivan2298]

Nice work and Happy New Year!

[@deinowolfhybridhero5101]

Happy new year and thank you for the precious work of scientific divulge

[@lucienfury2606]

I wonder how that thing kept it's tusks from digging into the ground if it actually looked anything like the thumbnail.

[@maozilla9149]

Great video and Happy New Year

[@cyankirkpatrick5194]

Happy new year Dr.Polaris

[@gattycroc8073]

your videos are very fascinating, hop people like you and CHimerasuchus get more love.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

Happy New Year! By the way I know you probably won’t do another Probosciden for awhile, but do you think you could do one on Paleoloxodon? Also a video on Panthera (leo?) atrox would be appreciated.

[@dr.polaris6423]

Thanks! I will absolutely be covering Paleoloxodon in the future, alongside other members of Elephantidae.

[@dynamosaurusimperious2718]

Great video

[@martyinsumatra]

Happy New Year Dr. Polar bear!

[@xuanluu4873]

Happy new year, Dr Polaris! How was Christmas and New Year’s Eve for you?

[@dr.polaris6423]

I had a very pleasant Christmas this year thanks. It’s been good to spend time with my family.

[@yozilla1005]

@@dr.polaris6423 Soon more people will appreciate your channel and the animals they never heard of.

[@joeshmoe8345]

Great thanks

[@terririnella4032]

excuse me, 5 foot giant stork (have you done a video on that? if so, let me know)... it kind of sounds like Hatzeg island during the era of the dinosaurs where tiny sauropods lived with traveling giant azhdarchids... island life is so fascinating and amazing

[@beastmaster0934]

Flores was pretty much the Cenozoic version of Hatzeg.

[@Invading-Specious]

thank you.

[@johngreskamp184]

Perhaps the most informative KZbin for extinct fauna! Do you know the how many of the individuals living at a given time? The pre-Columbian bison number in the millions; how many t Rex were there?

[@shekharaakula6233]

Fantastic video. Could you share the source of the image with the spotted hyenas feeding on a one horned rhino calf?

[@dazhonghuang5355]

Happy new year !

[@pbh9195]

What background music do you use for in your videos, it sounds very similar to jungle book

[@chancegivens9390]

Proboscideans are my second favorite mammal group!

[@randybarnett2308]

How many different kinds of elephants are there, you got these guys, mammoths, mastodons, modern elephants, must be dozens of different species, imagine if they all survived to the present!!!

[@bataperic374]

I have just subscribed to watch your videos and I will leave a proper feedback once I watch some more

[@nah7856]

Koji racku

[@N0sf3r4tuR1s3n]

It really is a shame that all we have left are 3 species of elephants when there were so many diverse kinds of proboscideans. Even worse poaching is leading to selective pressure for the remaining elephants to lose their tusks...

[@Magister_Sibrandus]

Interesting to see Ron Perlman being used as a size reference.

[@camacakegd3714]

Tetralophodon's skull looks so big that it could rival some ceratopsians'.

[@SoulDelSol]

I'm glad elephants don't drown

[@mistersir3020]

Nice video. Why didn't the last mammoths on Wrangel island survive till the present day by "making use of" island dwarfism?

[@mistersir3020]

@@adambartlett114 Are you saying animals don't choose to evolve? Wow, blown my mind. I think that's raсist. So why not make a video about the circumstances. Or was it just a matter of (bad) luck that some species on some islands did and some didn't.

[@mohammaddzulfikar755]

I think because they lack of genetic variation, they don't have a lot of genetic materials from beginning. Maybe they come there in just a small population. So they are vulnerable to some genetic diseases 🥺🥺

[@mistersir3020]

Maybe it was too cold over there so the mammoths couldn't muster the strength to get together and work out a plan to evolve into dwarf mammoths.

[@khsuki1]

Wonder if they will ever figure out what they used these tusks for (wish the video would note if the females also had tusks since if they do that kind of rules out "just for show") like they finally did with shovel tuskers (to eat bark IIRC). I know I have seen documentaries on African bush elephants besides fighting use them to strip bark off trees and dig for water in dry riverbeds.

[@debbys-abqnm4537]

I understand that female Asian elephants don't have tusks, but African females do. Males of both also have tusks. Tusks can be used to loosen dirt and find roots to eat. YT channel "HERD Elephant Orphanage South Africa", a refuge, has a +2 year old female (an albino!) who is now growing tusks, just little ones, but it means the humans continue to do a good job raising elephants, even very young ones rescued from a snare. The herd she was introduced her loves her as though she was born to them (humans are providing milk but will in time wean her off and she'll spend even more time with her adoptive family, which includes bulls, who I think are on birth control, so calmer :)

[@beastmaster0934]

@@debbys-abqnm4537 I always wondered why female Asian elephants don’t have tusks, while female African elephants of both species do.

[@debbys-abqnm4537]

@@beastmaster0934 -- good question! There must be a genetic reason some when in the past. Note that some male forms of deer (like reindeer, I think) have annual antlers but shed them about this time of year. Also most males are larger than their mates, though often she is or sisterhoods are in charge. I'm thinking of observed lion families, and even female chimps won't let males get away with everything. Males usually have to earn their temporary positions.

[@MilesBellas]

Why were the tusks elongated?

[@Bigazoa11]

will you be covering gomptheres soon?

[@Adolfitotherevenant2003]

Something that always seemed curious to me about the Stogodontids is that their trunks are always hanging from their tusks, why is that? Pd: Happy New year

[@CAMSLAYER13]

I think its just an artistic choice

[@Adolfitotherevenant2003]

I saw it

[@jeezwhiz2864]

Happy new year everyone!!

[@maozilla9149]

Yeah happy new year

[@andywomack3414]

What kind of elephant were those used by armies in ancient times in the Mediterranean region? I understand they were a species of North African elephant distinct from the much larger sub-Sahara African Elephant. I believe these are extinct, possibly due to being used as war-elephants.

[@debbys-abqnm4537]

I don't think today's African elephants are too smart(? or ornery/stubborn ) to be caught, tamed, trained and put to work like Asian elephants (though this practice is fading away because tourists would rather visit peaceful refuges; see EleFlix and Elephant Nature Park). So the use of a crossbreed or similar could be possible.

[@gertmoelders8809]

African forest elephant

[@vinniepeterss]

❤❤

[@rylanbrewer3320]

Happy late new year,s and Christmas to all

[@channelrandom2225]

They remind me of the straight tusekd elephants

[@MilesBellas]

8:10 Texas had elephantoids ?!

[@thedarkmasterthedarkmaster]

These make the LOTR Oliphants not look so odd

[@Abominatrix650]

We really had such a rich planet in past times, didn't we. Sucks that we're living in an age where it's on the decline. Especially for the megafauna. Diversity of speciation was thriving so hard

[@jakejake708]

@ 8:04 looks like Quest for Fire caveman

[@kanseiyamazaru435]

Hey I've been meaning to ask but, is the music playing in the background from Disney's The Jungle Book?

[@mezereumofficinarum3469]

8:10 On the scale of evolution, this is literally yesterday :(

[@dynojackal1911]

Will you cover Arsinotherium and it's relatives?

[@dynojackal1911]

Or Stegotetrabelodon?

[@TrajGreekFire]

omg we are moving further than triassic

[@BarelyDecentProduction]

There are so many extinct elephants in Indonesia lol

[@lakojake4215]

1:28 This has to be the smallest of the Proboscideans. For scale, they put a plastic toy man beside it.

[@planexshifter]

Why put all those resources into making those ridiculous tusks?

[@The_Thug_Shaker]

Should I use these instead of riandeer

[@geoffzuo9831]

Why are there so many roof elephants? Stegodon, stegomastodon, stegotrabelodon, stegolophodon

[@dinokaijumaster1254]

"Just" 250 kg

[@dr.polaris6423]

250kg is tiny when compared to 12.7 tonnes!

[@bambinazo123]

I was born at the wrong time💀

[@nostop4524]

Oh hey....nightmare elephants!

[@peterolbrisch1653]

It would be so cool if they weren't vegans.

[@broderp]

Its confusing when you recycle images and speak of a different species. In the end the viewer is confused as to what they are looking at.

[@justdavedoindavestuff3479]

Dr polaris, talking, talking, talking. Information, knowledge, some more information. And we'll see you next time, wait. What? Already? That went quick.

[@ai97nord94]

Happy new year Dr.Polaris