GOMPHOTHERES
Family Gomphotheriidae
· Usually relatively small proboscideans.
· Most diverse and successful group of proboscideans overall, though
now completely extinct.
· Largest sample is from the Love site (Alachua County).
· Florida appears to be the only region in North America in which Gomphotherium
(G. simplicidens) survived into the Pliocene.
· Most gomphotheres retain substantial lower as well as upper tusks.
· Early species were browsers, but seem to have evolved into mixed feeding,
to include grazing.
· Sometimes called the "pig-toothed beasts."
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· Long, rounded upper and lower tusks that are neither twisted nor spiraled...upper
tusk bore a prominent, straight enamel band.
· The lower jaw was enormously long, bearing short, broad tusks at the
end, while the premaxilla was also elongated for the fairly long and slightly
decurved upper tusks.
· Rather straight tusks, rounded in cross section.
Eastern Gomphothere
Gomphotherium calvertense
· Pronunciation– GOMF-o-THEER-ee-um CAL-ver-TENSE
· In Tusks! exhibit?– Yes, a lower molar
· Florida fossil localities– Kingsford Mine (Polk County)
· Geological time– Middle Miocene
· Chronological time– ~14 to 12 million years ago
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Common Gomphothere
Gomphotherium productum
· Pronunciation– GOMF-o-THEER-ee-um pro-DUCT-um
· Synonyms– Serridentinus productus
· In Tusks! exhibit?– Yes, a lower tusk and a mandible
with second and third molars
· Florida fossil localities– Love Site (Alachua County)
· Geological time– Early to late Miocene
· Chronological time– ~10 to 8 million years ago
· Short tusks, curved slightly downward, band of enamel on each upper
tusk.
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Simpletoothed Gomphothere
Gomphotherium simplicidens
· Pronunciation– GOMF-o-THEER-ee-um sim-PLI-si-denz
· In Tusks! exhibit?– No
· Geological time– Very early Pliocene, late Pliocene
· Chronological time– ~5 to 4.5 million years ago and ~2.5 to 2
million years ago
· Florida appears to be the only region in North America in which Gomphotherium
(G. simplicidens) survived into the Pliocene.
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