Mammuthus creticus
| Mammuthus creticus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skeleton in the Netherlands | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Proboscidea |
| Family: | Elephantidae |
| Genus: | Mammuthus |
| Species: | M. creticus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mammuthus creticus Bate, 1907 | |
Mammuthus creticus, or Cretan dwarf mammoth, is an extinct species of dwarf mammoth. With a shoulder height of about 1 m and a weight of about 180 kg,[1] it was the smallest mammoth that ever existed.[2]
After DNA research published in 2006, it was proposed to rename Palaeoloxodon creticus into Mammuthus creticus (Bate, 1907).[3] Others proposed (in 2002) to rename all the described specimens of larger size under the new subspecies name Elephas antiquus creutzburgi (Kuss, 1965). In a study of 2007, it was argued for the groundlessness of the theory by Poulakakis et al. in 2006,[4] showing the weak points of that DNA research.[5] However, morphological data is at least equivocal, and may also support placement in Mammuthus.
Skulls of the Cretan mammoth formed the basis for the ancient Greek myth of Cyclopes.
References
- ↑ Larramendi, A. (2016). "Shoulder height, body mass and shape of proboscideans" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 61. doi:10.4202/app.00136.2014.
- ↑ Herridge, V. L.; Lister, A. M. (2012). "Extreme insular dwarfism evolved in a mammoth". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 279 (1741): 3193. doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.0671.
- ↑ Poulakakis, N.; Parmakelis, A.; Lymberakis, P.; Mylonas, M.; Zouros, E.; Reese, D. S.; Glaberman, S.; Caccone, A. (2006). "Ancient DNA forces reconsideration of evolutionary history of Mediterranean pygmy elephantids". Biology Letters. 2 (3): 451–454. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0467. PMC 1686204
. PMID 17148428. - ↑ Poulakakis N.; Parmakelis A.; Lymberakis P.; Mylonas M.; Zouros E.; Reese D.; Glaberman S.; Caccone A. (2006). "Ancient DNA forces reconsideration of evolutionary history of Mediterranean pygmy elephantids". Biol. Lett. 2 (3): 451–454. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0467. PMC 1686204. PMID 17148428.
- ↑ Orlando, L., Pagés, M., Calvignac, S.; et al. (2007-02-22). "Does the 43bp sequence from an 800000 year old Cretan dwarf elephantid really rewrite the textbook on mammoths?". Biology Letters. 3 (1): 57–59. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0536.