Rabbit-Size Elephant Ancestor Found -- Oldest Known

nationalgeographic ^ | June 23, 2009 | Mark Anderson

[JoeProBono]

After the dinosaurs perished, life on Earth didn't take long to bounce back, a new study suggests.

A newfound 60-million-year-old creature called Eritherium azzouzorum—the oldest known elephant ancestor—bolsters the case that whole new orders of mammals were already around less than 6 million years after global catastrophe ended the age of reptiles some 65.5 million years ago.

Paleontologist Emmanuel Gheerbrant discovered the rabbit-size proto-elephant's skull fragments in a basin 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Casablanca, Morocco.

Elephant ancestors, he said, now join the likes of rodents and early primates as some of the first known mammals to walk the Earth during the Paleocene era, 65.5 to 55 million years ago (prehistoric time line).

Much of the story of the newly discovered creature, said Gheerbrant, of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, can be found in its teeth. Two of the creature's lower front teeth jut a fraction of an inch out from its jaw. No other fossils of the time have teeth like this.

"This is some kind of precursor of the tusk of the more modern [elephant]," Gheerbrant said.

Based on the skull fragments, Gheerbrant guessed that the proto-elephant was probably no more than 20 inches (50 centimeters), tip to tail—"something like a very large rabbit," size wise.

[JoeProBono]

[mysterio]

I saw an elephant about that size the last time I ran out of scotch.

[JoeProBono]

[Blackacre]

I’m guessing he was pink?

[JoeProBono]

[Daffynition]

'Elephants are the new dogs.'

[JoeProBono]

[Constitution Day]

I’m guessing he was pink?

[Daffynition]

[JoeProBono]

"I’m guessing he was pink?"

Yup.

[OneWingedShark]

Now if it had been Elephant-sized ancestors of rabbits I’d be interested. ;)

[wny]

well this explains the wusspublicans. genetically evolved to run from predators (libholes, demholes, MSMwhores) rather than fight

[wny]

well this explains the wusspublicans. genetically evolved to run from predators (libholes, demholes, MSMwhores) rather than fight

[NMEwithin]

This has nothing to do with mini elephants but I thought Jessica Biel could use some more love....

[JoeProBono]

[Constitution Day]

I’d love to see a stampede of rabbit-sized elephants.

That would be pretty much the cutest stampede ever.

[JoeProBono]

[JoeProBono]

Female baby elephant born at the Pittsburgh Zoo has nothing to do with Jessica Biel

[editor-surveyor]

Let me know when they find the Elephant-sized Rabbit!

[Constitution Day]

It's considered bad form to hijack a thread, but you are forgiven since Jessica Biel is Not Guilty.

Ever.