At Ashfall Fossil Beds , a middle Miocene site where volcanic ash overwhelmed whole communities of animals, excavations revealed specimens including a jawbone of a short-jawed four-tusker or Eubelodon in the sand layer below the ashbed. The water hole was situated in a depression amid warm grasslands and riparian river-related forests. Historical work was done here by paleo sleuth Mike Voorhies. Norden Bridge, a middle Miocene site from about 14 MYA, was host to the first elephants in Nebraska and had the greatest diversity of animals from any terrestrial fossil site in the world, according to Mike Voorhies.
The Gompotheres or four tuskers at Norden Bridge lived in a warm, temperate, forested habitat along stream channels. Winter temperatures were mild and did not go below freezing for long periods indicated by the presence of species like tortoises that could not tolerate freezing. It was home to both grazers and browsers, and was an environment with several habitats.
Historical work was done here by paleo sleuths Morris Skinner and Mike Voorhies. Oak, a site from the late Pleistocene about half a million years ago , had specimens of mastodons and mammoths, along with many browsers and a few grazers.
Pine and spruce pollen were also found there. Though there have been scores of species in the order, only two have survived into recent times. Paleo sleuths continue to piece together the mystery of why some species vanish and other go on. Traveling Trunks. Click one of the buttons below the map to begin exploring how elephants migrated over time. With reproduction rates hovering around 5 to 6 percent , there are simply not enough calves being born to make up for the losses from poaching.
African elephants are also losing their habitat as the human population grows and people convert land for agriculture and development. Elephants need a lot of room, so habitat destruction and fragmentation not only makes it harder for them to find food, water, and each other, but it also puts them in increased conflict with humans.
The decision to recognize African elephants as two separate species is seen as an important step for conservation, as it highlights the different challenges that each species faces. Scientists hope that the listing will bring more attention to forest elephants, which have often been overlooked by governments and donors when grouped together with more visible savanna elephants.
African elephants are protected to varying degrees in all the countries of their geographic range. There have been recent efforts to bring re-legalize the international trade in ivory, but those so far have failed. Conservation groups and governments have worked to set aside land for wildlife— including corridors that connect those protected lands.
Still, researchers believe that up to 70 percent of elephants' range is on unprotected land. To curb poaching, stopping the illegal trade is key. Advocates have launched campaigns that address both the supply side poaching and the demand side people who buy ivory. Since the ban went into effect, public demand for ivory seems to have fallen.
On the supply side, protecting elephants from poaching also requires a local approach. In , a study showed that the suffering of elephants is tied to that of the humans living nearby: Regions with high levels of poverty and corruption are more likely to have higher poaching rates. This suggests that helping communities develop sustainable livelihoods could reduce the lure of poaching. Elephant family members show signs of grief and may revisit the bones of the deceased for years, touching them with their trunks.
All rights reserved. Animals Photo Ark. African elephant. An African elephant photographed at Indianapolis Zoo in Indiana. Common Name: African elephants.
Scientific Name: Loxodonta. Type: Mammals. Diet: Herbivore. Group Name: Herd. In Africa, elephants are most threatened by poachers — who in the s were killing , a year. Elephants breed slowly, and take many years to reach maturity. In India the main threat is habitat destruction. Well I hope you have enjoyed this brief collection of elephant facts… they are surely beautiful animals worthy of our deepest study. Your email address will not be published.
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