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De nouveaux restes de Primelephas dans le Mio-Pliocène du Nord du Tchad et révision du genre Primelephas

Mackaye HASSANE TAÏSSO, Yves COPPENS, Patrick VIGNAUD, Fabrice LIHOREAU & Michel BRUNET

fr Comptes Rendus Palevol 7 (4) - Pages 227-236

Published on 30 June 2008

New Mio-Pliocene proboscidean remains from Chad: the genus Primilephas revisited

The genus Primelephas Maglio 1970 gathers two primitive species of Elephantinae, only known through dental remains. A large sample of new fossils, discovered by the MPFT field missions in northern Chad Mio-Pliocene localities and attributed to this genus, allowed questioning the validity of one of the species. An intrageneric morphological variability analysis led us to consider this species as a synonym. Therefore, Primelephas should be conserved as a monospecific genus, P. korotorensis being its type and sole species. The provincialism previously described for Primelephas is rejected in favour of a large African distribution of P. korotorensis.


Keywords:

Proboscidea, Primelephas, Mio-Pliocene, Djurab, Chad

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