Dinosaurs In Literature, History and Art:
Did Platybelodon Really Become Extinct Between 5 Million and 25 Million Years Ago-Or Did He Live in The Recent Past?........Page 76

If dogs had become extinct 400 to 500 years ago, evolutionists probably would have created an elaborate family tree and asserted that the various types had evolved over millions of years. Maybe the Pekinese, Chihuahuas and Boxers would have been selected as the older more primitive dogs who would later, in this evolutionary scenario would have evolved into the physically larger more gracile forms such as the Collie, the German Shepherd, the Greyhound and the Whippet. No doubt the wolf and other dog breeds would be in the middle branches somewhere.

Ancient West African. From, Figures in Wood of West Africa by, Leon Underwood. 1964 Click and drag to resize

Evolutionists see the animal tree as essentially a vertical one where millions of years are needed for creatures to evolve from one form to another. Creationists believe that the relationship between animals is horizontal with all forms living at the same time and/or genetic variations of the same type separated by time or distance. The polar bear and the brown bear are still bears, who exhibit their built in genetic variation.

The elphant as we know him is supposed to have evolved from more primitive forms of the order Proboscidea. One such "primitive" elephant was Platybelodon, supposedly extinct before the evolution of modern man. But hey, why is one perched on top of this ancient Sudanese hat?

"Platybelodon ("flat-tusk") was a genus of large herbivorous mammal related to the elephant (order Proboscidea).

It lived during the Miocene Epoch, about 15-4 million years ago. Although it thrived during its time, it did not survive past the Miocene and is now extinct.

Some have speculated that it became too specialized and was unable to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Platybelodon was previously believed to have fed in the swampy areas of grassy savannas using its teeth to shovel up aquatic and semi-aquatic vegetation.

However, wear patterns on the teeth suggest that it used its lower tusks to strip bark from trees. Platybelodon was very similar to the Amebelodon, another gomphothere species.

Another possibility is that it used its shovel-tusks to dig for water in dry seasons.

Due to the shape of the two lower teeth, which are worn by many gomphothere species (such as Platybelodon and Amebelodon) they are popularly known as shovel tuskers"....Wikipedia

Ancient West African Platy in the middle. Comparison of modern interpretations of Platybelodon. Click and drag to resize

"Habitat

Platybelodon lived in wet parts of prairies and ate soft plants (including water plants).

When Platybelodon Lived

This prehistoric elephant lived during the middle to late Miocene (roughly 25 million years ago).

Classification

Platybelodon was an early mammal. Class Mammalia (mammals), Order Proboscidea, Suborder Elephantoidea (elephants), Family Gomphothere (closely related to Amebelodon), Genus Platybelodon.

Fossils

Fossils of Platybelodon have been found in North America, eastern Europe, Africa, and northwestern China (these animals probably crossed via the Siberian land bridge between the continents of Asia and North America)"....Enchanted Learning.com

Platy on top of some ancient West African warrior's head. From "Figures in Wood of West Africa" by, Leon Underwood. 1964 Click and drag to resize

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