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37 BCE
Evolution of the Loxodonta (elephant) Over Time
This image is showing how the elephant evolved over time, many fossil records have been collected. The older the organism the deeper in the ground is located, in the next part of the timeline you will visit the comparison of the anatomical structure between the elephant's ancestors and its present-day anatomical structure. The first ancestor dated back to the elephant, the Moeritherium, was found almost 37 million years ago. -
37 BCE
Embryonic development
As you can see from this image, embryos from a very young stage look quite similar. As they continue to develop they lose certain characteristics, develop other differentiating organisms. -
37 BCE
How DNA Evolved and Changed in Elephants Over Time
DNA has been rapidly changing in elephants over time due to poachers. This is because poachers are going for the elephants with large tusks, large teeth, etc. meaning once they kill them they can no longer reproduce. The DNA of these elephants is lacking in this characteristic, and evolution is taking a different route. -
37 BCE
How DNA Evolved and Changed in Elephants Over Time (Continued)
Also, one similar structure elephants have to camels is their ability to store food. Camels store food in their humps, while elephants do so in their trunks. These two traits have a similar makeup. I will include this in my project by creating a comparison of two animals that have a similar function to makeup relationship. -
37 BCE
How Bone Structure Compares to Earlier Ancestors of the Elephant
When looking back on the images provided in the evolution section, the bone structure continued to grow and develop tusks, though the base structure stayed the same. All the organ system are placed within the same place of the bones, and really it's structure is much like other mammals. It grew due to environmental changes, and through natural selection, as this body structure was best suited during the Ice Age. -
37 BCE
Anatomical Comparisons (this is showing the anatomical differences between one of the elephant's ancestors, the manatee, to its present-day anatomical structure)
In addition, it has been found that humans and elephants have a very similar brain development process. Both human and elephant brain organs are born with a small mass, as the animal develops the brain mass, as well as intelligence, develops. Also the parts of the brain are set up quite similarly to humans, explaining this animal's high sense of intelligence, Although in proportion to the elephant's body size they have a smaller brain than humans.
