Proboscidea from the Baynunah Formation

The Baynunah Formation provides the only late Miocene record of fossil proboscideans from Arabian Peninsula, identifiable as a deinothereDeinotherioidea, Deinotheriidae, deinothere, tetralophodontTetralophodontinae (tetralophodont) gomphothere(s)Gomphotheriidae (gomphotheriid, gomphothere), and stegotetrabelodontStegotetrabelodontinae (stegotetrabelodont) elephant. IchnofossilsIchnofossil show oldest evidence for modern-type elephant herd structure. sample is particularly abundant, newly-recovered fossils yield critical about their systematics biology. Comparative results that stegotetrabelodont belongs in new species, many ways it most primitive all elephants—supporting geological age 8.0–6.0 Ma—consistent with having evolved Afro-Arabia Tetralophodon between 9.0 8.0 Ma. Body size analyses reveal these elephants were exceptionally tall heavy, possibly exceeding 10,000 kg. Tooth emergence reconstructed dp2-dp3-dp4-p3-m1-p4-m2-m3. taxonomic composition dietary preferences indicate presence heterogeneous local habitats region during Miocene, though high abundance (stegotetrabelodont), rarity deinothere gomphothere) dominance grassland lesser representation wooded areas.