Jola Ancient Elephant
Palaeoloxodon jolensis
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Chordata
Mammalia
Proboscidea
Elephantidae
Palaeoloxodon
Palaeoloxodon jolensis
The African Straight-Tusk Elephant of the Pleistocene — Palaeoloxodon jolensis
A towering grazer of open African grasslands, Palaeoloxodon jolensis likely represents the last evolutionary stage of the Palaeoloxodon recki lineage. Its massive proportions and specialized dentition made it a dominant proboscidean before its disappearance around 130,000 years ago.
Description
Palaeoloxodon jolensis, commonly known as the African Straight-Tusked Elephant, was a formidable presence during the Pleistocene epoch. This species was characterized by its impressive size, with males reaching shoulder heights of up to 4 meters and weights between 10 to 12 tonnes. One of its most distinctive features was its long, straight tusks, which could extend several meters in length. Unlike the modern African elephant, P. jolensis possessed a more elongated skull and a pronounced parieto-occipital crest—a bony ridge at the top of the skull—that served as an anchor for strong neck muscles to support its massive head and tusks. The limbs were robust and columnar, adapted to support its substantial weight. This elephant primarily inhabited savannahs and open woodlands across Africa, thriving in grassland environments.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
5000
3
4
6
kg
m
m
m
Generalist Megaherbivore grazer browser, Herbivore, Grazer Grass
Herbivores – Grazers
Hunt History
Because Palaeoloxodon jolensis is predominantly known from fragmentary dental material—and because human populations in Africa during its late existence were relatively sparse—direct evidence of systematic hunting is lacking. However, the overlap in time and space with evolving Middle Stone Age hominins suggests that occasional opportunistic scavenging or hunting could have occurred as humans gained improved lithic technologies. The combination of climate-driven habitat shifts and incipient human pressure likely contributed together to its decline.
Three Example Localities / Evidence:
Kenya (Natodomeri): Late Middle Pleistocene molar remains >130,000 years old, helping define the later boundary of the species.
Algeria / North Africa: Isolated teeth attributed to P. jolensis recovered in multiple North African sites, extending its known range.
Tunisia / Morocco: Additional dental finds in North African deposits support the hypothesis of its broad distribution across both northern and sub-Saharan regions.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Globally Extinct
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
400000
BP
Late Pleistocene
Africa
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
8
Est. Renderable Fat
400
kg
Targeted Organs
Marrow, brain, visceral fat
Adipose Depots
Visceral (perirenal/mesenteric), limited subcutaneous; marrow, brain lipids
Preferred Cuts
Long-bone marrow & braincase
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
5