The most important member of the former group is the _Mastodon
Arvernensis_ (fig. 250), which ranged widely over Southern Europe
and England, being generally associated with remains of the _Elephas
meridionalis, E. antiquus, Rhinoceros megarhinus_, and _Hippopotamus
major_. The lower jaw seems to have been destitute of incisor
teeth; but the upper incisors are developed into great tusks,
which sometimes reach a length of nine feet, and which have the
simple curvature of the tusks of the existing Elephants. Amongst
the Pliocene Elephants the two most important are the _Elephas
meridionalis_ and the _Elephas antiquus_. Of these, the _Elephas
meridionalis_ (fig. 251) is found abundantly in the Pliocene
deposits of Southern Europe and England, and also survived into
the earlier portion of the Post-Pliocene period. Its molar teeth
are of the type of those of the existing African Elephant, the
spaces enclosed by the transverse enamel-plates being more or
less lozenge-shaped, whilst the curvature of the tusks is simple.
The _Elephas antiquus_ (fig. 252) is very generally associated
with the preceding, and it survived to an even later stage of
the Post-Pliocene period. The molar teeth are of the type of the
existing Indian Elephant, with comparatively thin enamel-ridges,
placed closer together than in the African type; whilst the tusks
were nearly straight.
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