Eritherium

Eritherium is an extinct genus of early Proboscidea found in the Ouled Abdoun basin (early Thanetian age), Morocco. It lived about 60 million years ago. It was first named by Emmanuel Gheerbrant in 2009 and the type species is Eritherium azzouzorum. Eritherium is the oldest, smallest and most primitive known elephant relative.

Description

The holotype (specimen number MNHN PM69) is now in the Musée d'histoire naturelle - Guimet in Lyon and includes an upper jaw (with approaches of the zygomatic bone and two maxillary branches, each of the two posterior premolars (P3 and 4) and three molars (M1-3)). The piece is about 6 inches long, 5 inches wide and just over 3 inches high. In addition, the fossils include 15 more objects including the skull bones (frontal and nasal bones), lower jaw fragments and teeth and the upper and lower jaw.

Generally, Eritherium shared similarities in the structure of their teeth with other Paenungulata such as the extinct Embrithopoda or early representatives of the manatees, but their teeth are more specialised. The dentition of the mandible that was reconstructed (from two left fragments) made up the complete sequence of the original teeth of mammals: with three incisors, one canine, four premolars and three molars. The tooth row was closed and had no diastema between the canine tooth on the front and back teeth. This primitive mammalian dentition is unique among Proboscideans.