Description

The straight-tusked elephant was one of the largest land mammals ever to exist. It roamed from Britain and Iberia to the Levant, thriving in interglacial forests where lush vegetation could sustain its immense bulk. Its most striking feature — immense, nearly linear tusks that could exceed 4 meters — gave it both its name and its regal appearance.

Palaeoloxodon antiquus is a close relative of the modern Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), with genetic evidence showing they share a recent common ancestor. Its skull bore an enormous parietal crest to anchor massive neck muscles, allowing it to support its heavy tusks. Its diet was primarily folivorous — branches, bark, and leaves from oak, hazel, and elm-dominated forests.

Fossils show a species exquisitely tuned to warm, wooded habitats. As the Ice Age intensified and glaciations spread, its range fragmented and populations dwindled — giving rise to smaller, island dwarf descendants such as Palaeoloxodon falconeri of Sicily and P. mnaidriensis of Malta.