It's no secret that in the ancient world inhabited by unique animal, which, unfortunately, or fortunately, we were not destined to see.But the massive and huge remains attest to the greatness and power of these mammals.For example, last animals adapt to their environment, and even individuals of the same species could be altered under its influence.Many people are interested in this unique mammals like mastodon.This animal is from the order Proboscidea, which in many ways resembled mammoths, but also had differences from them.
Feature mastodons
Nowadays, nobody thinks that perhaps mastodon - is the brightest normal elephant ancestor.The main common feature of animals, of course - the trunk, as well as the huge size compared to other inhabitants of the wildlife.However, it was found that mastodons were no more elephants, which we can now see in the zoo or on television.
mastodons considered extinct mammals.They have similarities with other members of the order Proboscidea, but the differences were also present.The most important of them - it is the structure of the teeth.These large mammals on the chewing surfaces of the molars were paired soskoobraznye hills.But mammoths and elephants on the molars have transverse ridges, which were divided cement.
origin of the name "mastodon"
Interestingly, the mastodon - is translated from the Greek word "nipple", "tooth".Consequently, the animal's name is derived from the structural features of its teeth.Note that in some individuals in the area of the lower jaw were tusks, which (according to scientists) transformed from the second incisors.
mastodons considered herbivores, unable to harm any neighbor in a big house called "Wildlife".The main dish of the order Proboscidea were leaves of trees and shrubs.However, if mammals were frightened, they simply could kill an animal located next to its enormous weight as a result of a sharp movement, unwittingly.
males mastodons
Some scientists believe that the mastodon did not exceed the growth of an ordinary elephant.Males squad Proboscidea could reach three meters at the shoulder.It is worth noting that they preferred to live separately from the flock, that is, females and their young.Their Sexual maturity comes at ten-fifteen years.On average, mastodons lived sixty years.
is also worth noting that there were different species of mammals (the US has been described above), and almost all of them were similar.But in fact, mastodons were in Africa.It was 35 million years ago.Later they moved to Europe, Asia, North and South America.
Interesting facts
Mastodon (figurative meaning involves an influential figure something large, such as the mastodon business mastodon literature) as opposed to the elephant had tusks in the upper and lower jaw.Later the order Proboscidea view has changed, and the number of tusks was reduced to a single pair.Scientists have found that the animals died about 10 thousand years ago.They were about twenty species.
One of the versions of the extinction of mastodons became infected mammalian tuberculosis.But after their disappearance, they were not forgotten.Scientists constantly study the bones, tusks of mastodons, making new discoveries and delving into the history of the unique mammals.In 2007, DNA has investigated the animal in his teeth.Research has proved that the remains of a mastodon were from 50 to 130 thousand. Years.
Thus, mastodon - a unique and not fully studied large mammals that were current on the earth thousands of years ago and was considered one of the most friendly animals.It is proved that with time they began to eat grass, preferring it to the leaves of trees and shrubs, although their massive tusks possessed a great hunt.
