Towering above the ancient plains of Asia roamed a creature both familiar and alien to our modern eyes—the *Platybelodon*, an extinct relative of today’s elephant. What sets it apart is the unmistakable shape of its jaw, flattened like a giant shovel. In the illustration above and the skeletal reconstruction below, we see a remarkable blend of the bizarre and the majestic—a glimpse into the deep past when evolution experimented boldly.

Towering above the ancient plains of Asia roamed a creature both familiar and alien to our modern eyes—the *Platybelodon*, an extinct relative of today’s elephant. What sets it apart is the unmistakable shape of its jaw, flattened like a giant shovel. In the illustration above and the skeletal reconstruction below, we see a remarkable blend of the bizarre and the majestic—a glimpse into the deep past when evolution experimented boldly.
Living approximately 10 to 4 million years ago during the Miocene Epoch, the *Platybelodon* used its wide, scoop-like lower jaw to forage in swampy terrain. Scientists believe it stripped bark from trees and dredged aquatic vegetation, its shovel teeth acting like natural harvesting tools.
But this strange anatomy gave rise to ancient myths. Early fossil discoveries—jawbones with tusks resembling monstrous beaks—may have inspired stories of fantastical beasts or even early depictions of dragons. Without the full context, imagination filled in the gaps.
The skeleton preserved in the museum is a powerful reminder of nature’s ingenuity. Its proportions, though elephantine, diverge in ways that challenge our expectations. This was no lumbering giant, but a specialized survivor, perfectly suited to its time and place.
Though extinct, the *Platybelodon* continues to astonish and educate, standing as a symbol of life’s strange and wondrous variety. Each fossilized bone, every tooth and tusk, is a message from a forgotten world—one still echoing through the halls of science and memory.

Platybelodon – an elephant without a trunk?

Platybelodon – a combination of an elephant and a hippo

The bizarre appearance of the described extinct mammal has caused modern people to ask a lot of questions about it. We will not get answers to many of them, we can guess some of them, and only a few are supported by hard evidence. The unusual combination of a hippo and an elephant (not only in terms of appearance, but also in terms of lifestyle) is probably the best term for Platybelodon.

Many interesting relatives of modern elephants once roamed the earth. Platybelodon is one of them – “undisputed” handsome. Platybelodon lived during the Miocene from about 15 to 10, or even up to 4 million years ago. He has performed in Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. So he was a real globetrotter and he achieved undoubted evolutionary success.

Like most proboscis, Platybelodon had tusks that were not as impressive as those belonging to contemporary African or Asian elephants. The feature, however, which attracted attention much more, was the lower jaw of the animal, which was unnaturally elongated.

It is estimated that Platybelodon lived from about 15 to 10 (maybe 4) million years ago, i.e. in the Miocene epoch. It lived in the areas of today’s Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

In the past, it was believed that these large mammals lived in marshy areas. They were to use their specific, flattened lower tusks as shovels (or rather as spoon-forks) collecting hydrophytes – aquatic plants.

The marks on the found teeth suggest, however, that the lower, modified incisors were designed to strip bark from trees and to cut and tear out hard land plants.

Platybelodon

Characteristic

Paleontologist Henry Fairfield Osborn claimed that Platybelodon spent most of its time in the water, digging up water plants with its lower tusks. However, thanks to the work of Lambert and many other scientists, we know that this mammal, like most of its relatives, only to some extent preferred aquatic life. He used water for a specific purpose, just like modern elephants.

In his 1936 book enтιтled Proboscidea, Osborn wrote that Platybelodon had been stripped of its proboscis (trunk), but with the help of a mobile upper lip (which rested the entire length of its lower jaw), it could freely acquire plant food.

Like most proboscis, Platybelodon had tusks, which were not quite as large as those of modern African or Asian elephants. The feature that attracted attention much more, however, was the animal’s lower jaw, which was unnaturally elongated. At its end there were two tusks, unusually flattened and even more lengthening the already oblong skull. Paleontologist Harry Osborn developed a hypothesis that this specific structure of the oral cavity was to facilitate the feeding of aquatic plants.

Platybelodon

Its appearance is now being questioned. The lower tusks were rather used (according to W. D. Lambert) to tear the land plants out of the ground and to remove the bark from the trees. Such a structure of the jaw, however, raised further doubts. No one could figure out how the plants ended up in the stomach. With two boards instead of lips, it would be hard to put the cut plants in your mouth. The troubling problem had to find a solution.

According to paleontologists, the animal had either a long tongue or a proboscis. The latter option seems plausible, although for many years the nickname of “an elephant without a trunk” has stuck to Platybelodon. Unfortunately, an organ composed of soft tissue rarely survives in the fossil record. However, with a high degree of probability, it was used to obtain food. Sometimes it is worthwhile to carefully analyze certain issues before giving someone a nickname.

Platybelodon

Did Platybelodon have a trunk or not?

On the other hand, Borissiak found that the Platybelodon snout was somewhat similar to that of a hippopotamus, although in the former it was more elongated. Sanders, however, wondered how an animal with an elongated mouth, located far from the lips, could put food in its mouth. The scientist concluded that the animal would have to have a very long tongue or, more likely, a trunk like today’s elephants.

There is also the question of whether Platybelodon’s jaws, despite its excellent adaptation to gaining food, did not interfere with him while escaping from a predator. Sanders honestly doubted it. Probably a very effective deterrent was the size of this mammal – it was only slightly smaller than modern African elephants, and we know that adult elephants rarely fall prey to the largest African predators – lions. However, there are many indications that Platybelodon could also have a dangerous enemy – creodonts (Creodonta).

Platybelodon

Extinction

The reason why Platybelodons went extinct seems fairly simple to guess. The Miocene drought changed the environment in which he lived. The change in vegetation and the inability to adapt to new conditions put an end to the strangest elephant that ever inhabited our planet.

It can be speculated that its unique denтιтion could not be used to obtain other types of vegetation. This should come as no surprise. Climate change has been with us since the formation of the Earth and led to the disappearance of many organisms.

Platybelodon

Related Posts

The Iron Whispers of the Forgotten Warrior

In a dim corner of an aging European museum, nestled behind a thick pane of glᴀss, lies a relic that silences even the most casual visitor—a human…

A recent image captured by the International Space Station (ISS) has revealed what appears to be a mᴀssive unidentified flying object (UFO) measuring an astonishing 3,000 miles in width. The object, visible in the background of Earth’s orbit, has sparked widespread debate among UFO researchers and astronomers.

A colossal, circular anomaly hovers above the Earth like a celestial eye—its metallic latticework glowing with eerie precision, its presence unmistakable. “Now everyone will see,” the caption…

The Voice of the Pharaoh: Standing Before the Colossus of Memnon

Rising from the sands of Luxor like a broken dream, this immense stone sentinel gazes silently eastward, where the sun once greeted the souls of kings. This…

Wheels of the Ancients: Echoes of Motion from the Bronze Age

Time-worn but defiant, this ancient wooden chariot rests beneath the soft glow of museum lights—a survivor of millennia, a whisper from a world that once thundered with…

The Silent Rift: Where Earth Splits and Wonder Begins

In the heart of the desert, where red rock meets eternity, a fissure slices the land like a forgotten wound. Perfectly straight, impossibly deep, and eerily still,…

The Secret Beneath the Floor: Rome’s Ancient Central Heating

Hidden beneath a mosaic of geometric beauty lies one of the Roman Empire’s most ingenious innovations—the hypocaust system, a silent architect of comfort, warmth, and engineering brilliance….