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mastodon
mastodon
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proboscidean size comparison American mastodon (Mammut americanum). Mastodons diversified greatly during the Pliocene Epoch.
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extinct mammal
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Also known as: Mammut
Article History
proboscidean size comparison
proboscidean size comparison
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Category: Animals & Nature
Related Topics:
Pleistocene Epoch
extinction
Miocene Epoch
Pliocene Epoch
American mastodon
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mastodon, (genus Mammut), any of several extinct elephantine mammals (family Mammutidae, genus Mammut ) that first appeared in the early Miocene (23 million to 2.6 million years ago) and continued in various forms through the Pleistocene Epoch (from 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). In North America, mastodons probably persisted into post-Pleistocene time and were thus contemporaneous with Paleo-Indian groups. Mastodons had a worldwide distribution; their remains are quite common and are often very well preserved. A characteristic feature of the mastodons, which appear to have fed upon leaves, is the distinctive nature of the grinding teeth, which in many ...(100 of 285 words)

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