Difference Between Mammoth and Elephant

Our planet has owned and has a very diverse and interesting fauna. The sad thing is that many animals that previously existed today are extinct and others are already in danger of extinction. Difference Between Mammoth and Elephant

On this occasion we will explain the difference between two classes of animals (one of which only remains and another that is on the way to ending up as the first) that have certain similarities, but are quite different. It’s about mammoths and elephants.

ELEPHANT Difference Between Mammoth and Elephant

Elephants, of the order Proboscidea, are the only survivors of the elephantidae family; the other families of the order, which includes the mammoths and mastodons, are long extinct.

 More than 161 extinct members of the order Proboscidea have been recorded.

Some facts about elephants:

Lifespan: 60 years on average

Mass: 5,500 kg on average

Height: 330 cm on average

As already mentioned, elephants belong to the Elephantidae family , of which only theProboscidea order prevails . The sirenians ( Dugongs and manatees) and damans are their closest relatives among the animals that still exist.

  The African elephant ( Loxodonta africana ) from sub-Saharan Africa and the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) from South and Southeast Asia are the two species of elephants that recognized today. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has considered African elephants as vulnerable, while Asian elephants have been classified as endangered species.

• In 1797, the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach had named the African elephant as Elephas africana . Georges Cuvier in 1825 called this genus Loxodonta. H ay about 18 subspecies of African elephants. These animals can grow to be 3 – 4 m (10 – 13 ft) tall and weigh between 4,000 – 7,000 kg (8,800 – 15,000 pounds).
• In 1758, the Swedish zoologist Carlos Linnaeus described the genus Elephas under the binomial Elephas maximus, from an elephant from Sri Lanka . Then Georges Cuvier in 1798 classified the Indian elephant under the binomial Elephas indicus . Asian elephants, depending on the territory they inhabit, vary in color and depigmentation.

The elephant skull is strong enough to support the weight generated by tusks and collisions from the face. They have thick and large ears, with fine tips. The proboscis or proboscis of the face is a fusion of the nose and upper lip.

The tube performs multiple functions, including breathing, touching, grasping, making sounds, and smelling. Elephants generally have 26 incisor teeth, known as tusks, 12 premolars, and 12 molars. The 2 large elephant tusks are modified incisors that protrude from the upper jaw. These animals replace baby teeth when they reach 6 – 12 months of age and they continuously grow about 17 centimeters (7 inches) in a year. A newly developed tusk has a smooth enamel cap that eventually wears off.

 The elephant’s skin is very tough, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick on the back and some parts of the head. The brain weighs between 4.5 – 5.5 kg (10 – 12 lb). Their heart weighs between 12 – 21 kg (26 – 46 pounds) and has a double-pointed apex, which is an unusual trait among mammals. Elephants are polygamous breeders and their copulations occur frequently during the peak of the rainy season. Commonly, the gestation phase in these animals lasts about 2 years.

Elephants are the largest land animals in existence today. They are herbivores by nature and are found in a variety of habitats, including savannas, forests, deserts, and marshes; since they prefer to stay near the water most of the time . They live as a socialized family, the groups are formed according to the links that may exist between them. They basically communicate through touch, sight, smell and sound and use infrasound and seismic communication when they are over long distances.

They are known for their intelligence and have been compared to primates and cetaceans. They are self-aware and also empathize with individuals of their kind who are dying or dead.

MAMMOTH

The word ‘ mammoth’  was first used in Europe in the early 1600s to refer to the tusks discovered in Siberia.

Some facts about mammoths :

Scientific name: Mammuthus

Family: Elephantidae

Lowest Classification: Mammuthus meridionalis

These animals of the Elephantidae family existed in Africa around 6 million years ago . The mastodon,  which is also extinct, is a relative of mammoths.

The first types known as M. rumanus, were found in Europe and China. The earliest known members of the genus Mammuthus were the African species M. subplanifrons in the Pliocene and M. africanavus in the Pleistocene.

About 1 million years ago, M. trogontherii evolved in East Asia. It then migrated to Siberia and became the woolly mammoth M. primigenius . Due to the difference in physical appearance and the period to which they belong, European mammoths are distinguished into the following groups:

• Early Pleistocene: Mammuthus meridionalis
• Middle Pleistocene: Mammuthus trogontherii
• Late Pleistocene: Mammuthus primigenius

The mammoths were large. Viewed from the side, they were taller at the shoulders, with a slightly hunched profile. They had a thick, dense layer of skin on their bodies, which offered them protection against cold temperatures during the Ice Age. 

The Colmillos mammoth weighed more than 150 kilos and were long (16 feet). Curvados toward his face, although some were straight .

Most of the physical characteristics of mammoths resemble that of elephants. Their diet differed depending on their race. What s Pre – Columbian mammoths Americans ate mostly cactus leaves, trees and shrubs.

Today there are no mammoth species . Among the reasons that explain the extinction of these animals are: the warming trend (Holocene) that occurred many years ago, accompanied by glacial retreat and rising sea levels; forests were replaced by grasslands and open forests on the continents; the spread of human hunters with newly developed tools.

Key differences between mammoths and elephants

• Elephants still exist, while mammoths are already extinct.
• Mammoths were hairy, while elegant ones have little hair.
• Elephants are smaller than mammoths were.
• The tusks of mammoths were much longer than those of elephants.

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