African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. Th…
African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They are slightly larger than their Asian cousins and can be identified by their larger ears that look somewhat like the continent of Africa.
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Scientists have discovered fossilized remains of the oldest known elephant relative, dating back 60 million years. The fossils were found in Morocco. Called Eritherium azzouzorum, the animal would not have looked much like an elephant.
About 80 Million years ago, the genetic linage of elephants split from primates. The tree shrew is considered our nearest common ancestor. It is believed that 50-60 million years ago, Moeritheriums, were the roots from which the proboscideans evolved.
Elephants unlike primates actually did come from Africa. I discuss elephant & monkey evolution in my article Monkey Mystery http://imeddo.club/news/blog/2020/03/. See section on Afrotheria manmals which Twetch post in full
Afrotheria mammals (1/3)
Afrotheria mammals (2/3) Elephants!
Afrotheria mammals (3/3)
African elephant 60-70 years, Asian elephant 48 years
Considered one of the national treasures of India, the 86 year old elephant named Dakshayani is currently the oldest known elephant in the world.
They are highly intelligent animals with complex emotions, feelings, compassion and self-awareness. They console each other in times of stress by “hugging”, offering comfort through physical contact
Elephants are a matriarchal society; that is, one that is led by a head cow, who presides over her herd of females. Each herd is made up of mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts.
They are guided by the oldest and largest female of the herd. As the herd grows, some members split to form new herds. As for adult males, they do not live with the female herds. Adolescent male elephants will leave their natal herd, learning from bulls.
Joy, anger, grief, compassion, love; the finest emotions reside within these hulking masses. Through years of research, scientists have found that elephants are capable of complex thought and deep feeling.
Elephants are extremely intelligent animals and have excellent memories. Matriarchs rely on this memory during dry seasons when they need to guide their herds, sometimes for tens of miles, to watering holes that they remember from the past.
Researchers have found that elephants also appear to communicate by sensing seismic vibrations through the soft skin on the pads of their feet. Elephants may also lay their trunks on the ground to detect vibrations in the earth.
An elephant's trunk is actually a long nose used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and also for grabbing things—especially a potential meal. The trunk alone contains about 40,000 muscles.
African elephants have two fingerlike features on the end of their trunk that they can use to grab small items. Elephant trunks can lift up to 770lbs! The elephant is able to taste the air thanks to millions of receptor cells in their upper nasal cavity.
an elephant paint self portrait
https://youtu.be/KAkKSQXgZUA
Elephants are revered as a symbol of good luck, prosperity, destroyer of evil, remover of obstacles, as well as strength, power, wisdom, memory, and vitality. In India, there are millions of temples dedicated to the Elephant God.
Elephants are revered as a symbol of good luck, prosperity, destroyer of evil, remover of obstacles, as well as strength, power, wisdom, memory, and vitality. In India, there are millions of temples dedicated to the Elephant God.
Elephant funeral involves the elephants touching the bones and gently picking them up with their trunks while remaining very quiet, and sometimes they go about covering the body with leaves and grass.
African elephants are pregnant for up to 22 months, while Asian elephants are pregnant for 18-22 months. This is actually the longest gestation period of all mammals, which makes sense when we think about how big elephants are.
In most adult mammals, neurogenesis primarily occurs in two main regions, the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb (OB).
https://twetch.app/t/6283d71d0c0f708f293695e0fe4d56eef1b556e5ac9a224e17dddee1153319d2
I did not know this! So it's just a size thing? How long for giant dinosaurs then? Pregnancy for 3-4 years???
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mammalian_gestation_durations
lol hamster = 16 days.
Longest duration of elevated estrogen levels increase memory and neurogenesis happens. Increased memory and a super sensitive scenes of smell. Elephants have a keen nose. They have more smell receptors than any mammal. #estrogen
Love elephants, my favorite animals!
It moves me that they do funerals to their beloved and lost ones❤️