Gomphotheriinae

Gomphotheriinae is a subfamily of extinct, elephant-like mammals that lived during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, approximately 23 to 2 million years ago. They are part of the family Gomphotheriidae, which also includes the closely related subfamily Mammutidae, known for the woolly mammoths. Gomphotheriinae is characterized by their large size, robust build, and distinctive features such as a large, flat proboscis and a complex dental structure.

The most well-known genus within Gomphotheriinae is Gomphotherium, which is represented by several species found in North America and Europe. These animals were among the largest land mammals of their time, with some species reaching lengths of up to 4 meters (13 feet) and weighing over 10 tons. They had a mix of browsing and grazing adaptations, with molar teeth adapted for grinding tough plant material.

Gomphotheriinae went extinct around the same time as the woolly mammoths, likely due to a combination of factors including climate change and competition with other large herbivores. Fossil evidence suggests that they may have been replaced by more specialized grazers in their ecological niches. The extinction of Gomphotheriinae marks the end of a significant chapter in the evolution of large herbivorous mammals, highlighting their ecological importance and the dramatic changes that occurred in the Earth's ecosystems during the late Cenozoic era.