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Extreme insular dwarfism evolved in a mammoth.

Victoria L Herridge1, Adrian M Lister

  • 1Palaeontology Department, Natural History Museum, , Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. victoriaherridge@me.com

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|May 11, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Island dwarfism in elephants is common, but taxonomy is unclear. New evidence shows the Cretan dwarf elephant,

Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Island Biogeography

Background:

  • Insular dwarfism, exemplified by Pleistocene elephants, is a key concept in island biogeography.
  • The taxonomic status of Mediterranean dwarf elephants, particularly 'Palaeoloxodon' creticus from Crete, remains debated.
  • Previous studies using ancient DNA and geochronology to link Cretan dwarf elephants to mammoths have been challenged.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To resolve the taxonomic status of the Cretan dwarf elephant ('Palaeoloxodon' creticus).
  • To investigate the evolutionary origins and size of this dwarf elephant.
  • To understand the independent evolution of extreme insular dwarfism in elephant lineages.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of new morphological evidence from existing collections and recent field discoveries.

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  • Comparative morphological analysis with mainland elephant species and other insular dwarf elephants.
  • Re-evaluation of previous genetic and geochronological data in light of new findings.

    • Main Results:

    • Morphological evidence confirms 'Palaeoloxodon' creticus is a mammoth (Mammuthus), not a straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon).
    • The Cretan mammoth likely originated from Early Pleistocene Mammuthus meridionalis or Late Pliocene Mammuthus rumanus.
    • Mammuthus creticus is the smallest known mammoth species, comparable in size to dwarf Palaeoloxodon from Sicily and Malta.

    Conclusions:

    • Extreme insular dwarfism has evolved independently in at least two distinct elephant lineages (Mammuthus and Palaeoloxodon).
    • The study clarifies the evolutionary history of Mediterranean dwarf elephants.
    • This research highlights the complexity of island dwarfism and the importance of robust taxonomic assessments.