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Eritreum Temporal range: Late Oligocene 28–26 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Genus:	†Eritreum Shoshani et al., 2006
Species:	†E. melakeghebrekristosi
Binomial name
†Eritreum melakeghebrekristosi Shoshani et al., 2006

Eritreum melakeghebrekristosi is an extinct species of proboscidean mammal, which lived in Northeast Africa during the late Oligocene some 27 million years ago, and is considered to be the missing link between modern elephants and their ancestors. The fossils of this species are the oldest known fossils featuring the horizontal tooth displacement seen in modern elephants. The species is estimated to have weighed 484 kg (1,067 lb) and stood about 1.3 m (4.3 ft) at the shoulder, much smaller than modern species.

The generic name Eritreum comes from Eritrea, the country in the Horn of Africa where the specimen was discovered. The specific name melakeghebrekristosi honors Melake Ghebrekristos, the farmer who found the specimen.

References

1. ^ Shoshani, J.; Walter, R.C.; et al. (November 2006). "A proboscidean from the late Oligocene of Eritrea, a "missing link" between early Elephantiformes and Elephantimorpha, and biogeographic implications". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 103 (46): 17296–17301. doi:10.1073/pnas.0603689103. PMC 1859925.

External links

• Bryner, Jeanna (2006-09-01). "'Missing Link' of Elephant Family Unearthed". LiveScience. Archived from the original on 2006-11-02. Retrieved 2006-09-14.

v t e Genera of the order Proboscidea
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Superorder: Afrotheria Clade: Tethytheria
Proboscidea †Arcanotherium †Daouitherium †Eritherium †Khamsaconus? †Moeritherium †Numidotherium †Phosphatherium †Saloumia †Barytheriidae Barytherium Omanitherium †Deinotheriidae Chilgatherium Deinotherium Prodeinotherium Elephantiformes †Dagbatitherium †Eritreum †Hemimastodon †Palaeomastodon †Phiomia †Mammutidae Eozygodon Losodokodon Mammut Sinomammut Zygolophodon †Choerolophodontidae Afrochoerodon Choerolophodon †Amebelodontidae Afromastodon Amebelodon Aphanobelodon Archaeobelodon Eurybelodon Konobelodon Platybelodon Progomphotherium Protanancus Serbelodon Stenobelodon Torynobelodon †"Trilophodont gomphotheres" Blancotherium Cuvieronius Eubelodon Gnathabelodon Gomphotherium Notiomastodon Rhynchotherium Sinomastodon Stegomastodon †"Tetralophodont gomphotheres" Anancus Paratetralophodon Pediolophodon Tetralophodon †Stegodontidae Stegodon Stegolophodon Elephantidae Elephas Loxodonta †Mammuthus †Palaeoloxodon †Primelephas †Selenetherium †Stegodibelodon †Stegotetrabelodon †Phanagoroloxodon
See also: Plesielephantiformes Numidotheriidae Elephantimorpha Elephantida Elephantoidea

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• Elephantiformes
• Oligocene proboscideans
• Prehistoric placental genera
• Oligocene mammals of Africa
• Fossil taxa described in 2006
• Taxa named by Michael Abraha
• Prehistoric afrotherian stubs