Stegodontids

Stegodontids were a family of extinct proboscideans, an order of mammals that also includes modern elephants. They were native to Asia and Africa and lived during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, roughly 23 to 2.6 million years ago. Stegodontids are characterized by their distinctive molar teeth, which have a flattened, ridged surface adapted for grinding vegetation. Their tusks were generally less prominent than those of their elephant relatives, and some species lacked tusks entirely.

The most well-known stegodontid genus is Stegodon. These animals varied in size, with some reaching the dimensions of modern elephants, while others were considerably smaller. They were likely herbivores, feeding on grasses, leaves, and other plant matter. Fossil evidence suggests that stegodontids inhabited a range of environments, from forests to grasslands. Their evolutionary relationship to elephants is a subject of ongoing research, but they are considered to be an extinct side branch of the proboscidean family tree, not direct ancestors of modern elephants. The decline and eventual extinction of stegodontids are thought to be linked to environmental changes and competition with other herbivores.