Gomphothere Tooth Replica

Description

Gomphothere Tooth Replica measures 7.0 inches. Gomphothere Tooth Replica is museum-quality polyurethane resin cast. 1:1 scale. Made in USA.

Gomphothere or Gomphotheriidae are any members of the diverse, extinct taxonomic family Gomphotheriidae. Gomphotheres were superficially elephant-like proboscideans.

They were widespread in North America during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, 12 to 1.6 million years ago. Gomphotheriidae lived in parts of Eurasia, Beringia, and following the Great American Interchange, South America.

Beginning about 5 million years ago, they were gradually replaced by modern elephants, apart from the last two South American genera, of which Gomphotheres or Gomphotheriidae did not become extinct until possibly as recently as 9,100 BP.

The genus contains two species, Tenontosaurus tilletti (described by John Ostrom in 1970) and Tenontosaurus dossi (described by Winkler, Murry, and Jacobs in 1997). Many specimens of T. tilletti have been collected from several geological formations throughout western North America. T. dossi is known from only a handful of specimens collected from the Twin Mountains Formation of Parker County, Texas.

It was about 6.5 to 8 meters (21 to 26 ft.) long and 3 meters (10 ft.) high in a bipedal stance, with a mass of somewhere between 1 to 2 tones (1 to 2 short tons). It had an unusually long, broad tail, which like its back was stiffened with a network of bony tendons.

Tenontosaurus had a long, flexible neck. The front of its mouth had no teeth; it had a horny beak for biting off plants. Rows of strong, tightly fitted teeth ground up even tough plants.