| Palaeomastodon | |
|---|---|
| |
| A restoration of Palaeomastodon beadnelli | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Eutheria |
| Order: | Proboscidea |
| Superfamily: | Afrotheria |
| Family: | †Palaeomastodontidae |
| Genus: | †Palaeomastodon |
| Species: | †P. beadnelli |
Palaeomastodon, name meaning "before Mastodon", which refers to its ancestry to the mastodon, was a proboscidean endemic to Africa which appeared during the late Eocene epoch.
Palaeomastodon was an ancestor of elephants or mastodons, hence its name. It was also related to the proboscidean Moeritherium.
Similar to the later gomphotheres, Palaeomastodon possessed four tusks; two on the upper jaw and the other two on the lower. The tusks on the lower jaw were flat rather than conical and were most likely used to scoop plant material from swampy water.
