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65-735: The specimen was discovered on December 12, 1989 by a Flower Excavating Company drag line operator who was digging a new pond on the Burning Tree Golf Course grounds. The drag line’s shovel caught and damaged the skull. In the following three days, the fossil was excavated during relatively bitter winter cold and blowing winds. Excavation was conducted by the Ohio Historical Society and the Licking County Archaeology & Landmarks Society and volunteers from several organizations. The locality

130-513: A bellow while a drawn-out growl is a moan. Growling can escalate into a roaring when the elephant is issuing a threat. Trumpeting is made by blowing through the trunk and signals excitement, distress, or aggression. Juvenile elephants squeal in distress while screaming is made by adults for intimidation. Bulls in musth experience swelling of the temporal glands and secretion of fluid, the musth fluid, which flows down their cheeks. They begin to dribble urine, initially as discrete drops and later in

195-401: A broad range of frequencies which are mostly below what a human can hear. Infrasonic rumbles can travel vast distances and are important for attracting mates and scaring off rivals. At Amboseli National Park several different infrasonic calls have been identified: Growls are audible rumbles and happen during greetings. When in pain or fear, an elephant makes an open-mouthed growl known as

260-680: A calf was observed in Tsavo East National Park in October 1990. A group of 80 elephants including eight bulls had gathered in the morning in a 150 m (490 ft) radius around the birth site. A small group of calves and cows stood near the pregnant cow, rumbling and flapping their ears. One cow seemed to assist her. While she was in labour, fluid streamed from her temporal and ear canals. She remained standing while giving birth. The newborn calf struggled to its feet within 30 minutes and walked 20 minutes later. The mother expelled

325-662: A container packed with more than 6.5 t (6.4 long tons; 7.2 short tons) ivory was confiscated in Singapore . It contained 42,120 hanko stamps and 532 tusks of African bush elephants that originated in Southern Africa, centered in Zambia and neighboring countries. Between 2005 and 2006, a total of 23.461 t (23.090 long tons; 25.861 short tons) ivory plus 91 unweighed tusks of African bush elephants were confiscated in 12 major consignments being shipped to Asia. When

390-408: A form of taxidermy. The skin is removed from the animal's carcass, treated with absorbents, and filled with cotton or polyester batting (In the past plant fibres or sawdust were used). Bird specimens have a long, thin, wooden dowel wrapped in batting at their center. The dowel is often intentionally longer than the bird's body and exits at the animal's vent. This exposed dowel provides a place to handle

455-752: A length of 5 cm (2.0 in). They are composed of dentin and coated with a thin layer of cementum . Their tips bear a conical layer of enamel that is usually worn off when the elephant is five years old. Tusks of bulls grow faster than tusks of cows. Mean weight of tusks at the age of 60 years is 109 kg (240 lb) in bulls and 17.7 kg (39 lb) in cows. The longest known tusk of an African bush elephant measured 3.51 m (11.5 ft) and weighed 117 kg (258 lb). The African bush elephant occurs in sub-Saharan Africa which includes Uganda , Kenya , Tanzania , Botswana , Zimbabwe , Namibia , Zambia , Angola , Malawi , Mali , Rwanda , Mozambique and South Africa . It moves between

520-585: A lower ranking individual will insert the tip of its trunk into its superior's mouth. Elephants will also stretch out their trunk toward an approaching individual they intend to greet. Mother elephants reassure their young with touches, embraces, and rubbings with the foot while slapping disciplines them. During courtship, a couple will caress and intertwine with their trunks while playing and fighting individuals wrestle with them. Elephant vocals are variations of rumbles, trumpets, squeals, and screams. Rumbles are mainly produced for long-distance communication and cover

585-635: A mating partner, she will stay away from other bulls, which are threatened and chased away by the favoured bull. Competition between bulls overrides their choice sometimes. Gestation lasts 22 months. The interval between births was estimated at 3.9 to 4.7 years in Hwange National Park . Where hunting pressure on adult elephants was high in the 1970s, cows gave birth once in 2.9 to 3.8 years. Cows in Amboseli National Park gave birth once in 5 years on average. The birth of

650-569: A regular stream. These manifestations of musth last from a few days to months, depending on the age and condition of the bull. When a bull has been urinating for a long time, the proximal part of the penis and the distal end of the sheath show a greenish coloration, termed the 'green penis syndrome' by Joyce Poole and Cynthia Moss . Males in musth become more aggressive. They guard and mate with females in estrus , who stay closer to bulls in musth than to non-musth bulls. Urinary testosterone increases during musth. Bulls begin to experience musth by

715-459: A variety of habitats, including subtropical and temperate forests , dry and seasonally flooded grasslands , woodlands, wetlands , and agricultural land from sea level to mountain slopes. In Mali and Namibia, it also inhabits desert and semi-desert areas. In Ethiopia , the African bush elephant has historically been recorded up to an elevation of 2,500 m (8,200 ft). By the late 1970s,

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780-591: A while, considered the oldest known living organisms anywhere on Earth. However, still-living gut bacteria have been isolated from insects in early Cenozoic amber and viable halobacteria have been recovered from Paleozoic and even late Precambrian rock salt. The original Burning Tree Mastodon skeleton was sold in 1993 for over US$ 600,000 and now resides in a museum in Japan. Primary: Secondary: Loxodonta africana See text Elephas africanus The African bush elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), also known as

845-746: Is herbivorous . It is a mixed feeder, consuming both grasses, as well as woody vegetation ( browse ), with the proportions varying wildly depending on the habitat and time of year, ranging from almost exclusively grazing to near-total browsing. African bush elephants consumption of woody plants, particularly their habit of uprooting trees, has the ability to alter the local environment, transforming woodlands into grasslands. African bush elephants also at times consume fruit and serve as seed dispersers. Adults can consume up to 150 kg (330 lb) of food per day. To supplement their diet with minerals , they congregate at mineral-rich water holes, termite mounds, and mineral licks . Salt licks visited by elephants in

910-498: Is a herbivore, feeding on grasses, creepers, herbs, leaves, and bark. The menstrual cycle lasts three to four months, and females are pregnant for 22 months, the longest gestation period of any mammal. In the 19th and 20th centuries, several zoological specimens were described by naturalists and curators of natural history museums from various parts of Africa, including: Today, these names are all considered synonyms . A genetic study based on mitogenomic analysis revealed that

975-516: Is a representative specimen of the animal used in a study, such as a specimen collected as part of an ecological survey or a specimen which was the source of DNA for a molecular study. Voucher specimens confirm the identity of the species referred to in the study. They are a backup against misidentification, changing species concepts which mislead results. Type specimens are a special type of voucher specimen used in taxonomy . Museum zoological specimens may have historic significance . For example,

1040-540: Is an animal or part of an animal preserved for scientific use. Various uses are: to verify the identity of a ( species ), to allow study, increase public knowledge of zoology . Zoological specimens are extremely diverse. Examples are bird and mammal study skins, mounted specimens , skeletal material, casts, pinned insects, dried material, animals preserved in liquid preservatives, and microscope slides. Natural history museums are repositories of zoological specimens Bird and mammal specimens are conserved as dry study skins ,

1105-521: Is called conchology as distinct from malacology (wet specimens). Most hard-bodied insect specimens and some other hard-bodied invertebrates such as certain Arachnida , are preserved as pinned specimens. Either while still fresh, or after rehydrating them if necessary because they had dried out, specimens are transfixed by special stainless steel entomological pins . As the insect dries the internal tissues solidify and, possibly aided to some extent by

1170-421: Is common for the dry material to greatly exceed the amount of material that is preserved in alcohol. The shells minus their soft parts are kept in card trays within drawers or in glass tubes, often as lots (a lot is a collection of a single species taken from a single locality on a single occasion). Shell collections sometimes suffer from Byne's disease which also affects birds eggs. The study of dry mollusc shells

1235-523: Is distributed across 37 African countries and inhabits forests, grasslands and woodlands, wetlands and agricultural land. Since 2021, it has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List . It is threatened foremost by habitat destruction , and in parts of its range also by poaching for meat and ivory . It is a social mammal, travelling in herds composed of cows and their offspring. Adult bulls usually live alone or in small bachelor groups. It

1300-457: Is facilitated by corruption and periods of civil war in some elephant range countries. During the 20th century, the African bush elephant population was decimated. Poaching of the elephant has dated back to the years 1970 and 1980, which were considered the largest killings in history. The species is placed in harm's way due to the limited conservation areas provided in Africa. In most cases,

1365-675: Is from the Kanjera site in Kenya, dating to the Middle Pleistocene , around 500,000 years ago. Genetic analysis suggests a major population expansion between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago. Records become more common during the Late Pleistocene , following the extinction of the last African Palaeoloxodon species, Palaeoloxodon jolensis . The African bush elephant has grey skin with scanty hairs. Its large ears cover

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1430-710: Is led by a matriarch who at times also leads the kinship group. Groups cooperate in locating food and water, in self-defense, and in caring for offspring (termed allomothering ). Group size varies seasonally and between locations. In Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks , groups are bigger in the rainy season and areas with open vegetation. Aerial surveys in the late 1960s to early 1970s revealed an average group size of 6.3 individuals in Uganda's Rwenzori National Park and 28.8 individuals in Chambura Game Reserve. In both sites, elephants aggregated during

1495-669: Is shaped markedly concave. Its sturdy tusks are curved out and point forward. Its long trunk or proboscis ends with two finger-like tips. The African bush elephant is the largest and heaviest living land animal. Under optimal conditions where individuals are capable of reaching full growth potential, males are about 3.20 m (10.5 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh 6.0 t (6.6 short tons) on average (with 90% of fully grown males under optimal conditions being between 3.04–3.36 m (10.0–11.0 ft) and 5.2–6.9 t (5.7–7.6 short tons)) while mature fully grown females are smaller at about 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in) tall at

1560-405: Is the place and date of collection, attached to the specimen by a label. Additional information is the name of the collector and the habitat. Tissue from specimens may be saved for genetic studies (molecular data, DNA ). Depending on the animal group , other data may be included, for instance in bird collections the bird’s breeding condition, weight, colours of its eyes, bills and legs and nature of

1625-450: Is threatened primarily by habitat loss and fragmentation following conversion of natural habitat for livestock farming, plantations of non-timber crops, and building of urban and industrial areas. As a result, the human-elephant conflict has increased. Poachers target foremost elephant bulls for their tusks, which leads to a skewed sex ratio and affects the survival chances of a population. Access of poachers to unregulated black markets

1690-449: Is to store the specimen in 70% ethanol with various additives after fixing with formalin or in these days sometimes with a salt-solution. Some methods are very useful, because the color can be preserved. (Salt-)Solutions like this are Jores, Kaiserling and Romhányi. Modern specimens are stored in borosilicate glass due to its chemical and thermal resistance and good optical clarity. Minimum data associated with zoological specimens

1755-538: The African savanna elephant , is one of two extant African elephant species and one of three extant elephant species. It is the largest living terrestrial animal , with fully grown bulls reaching an average shoulder height of 3.04–3.36 metres (10.0–11.0 ft) and a body mass of 5.2–6.9 tonnes (11,500–15,200 lb), with the largest recorded specimen having a shoulder height of 3.96 metres (13.0 ft) and an estimated body mass of 10.4 tonnes (22,900 lb). It

1820-408: The placenta about 100 minutes after birth and covered it with soil immediately. Captive-born calves weigh between 100 and 120 kg (220 and 260 lb) at birth and gain about 0.5 kg (1.1 lb) weight per day. Cows lactate for about 4.8 years. Calves exclusively suckle their mother's milk during the first three months. Thereafter, they start feeding independently and slowly increase

1885-540: The African Elephant Database was initiated to collate and update information on the distribution and status of elephant populations in Africa. The database includes results from aerial surveys, dung counts, interviews with local people, and data on poaching. Researchers discovered that playing back the recorded sounds of African bees is an effective method to drive elephants away from settlements. Zoological specimen A zoological specimen

1950-444: The African and Asian elephant genetically diverged about 7.6 million years ago. Phylogenetic analysis of nuclear DNA of African bush and forest elephants, Asian elephant, woolly mammoth , and American mastodon revealed that the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant form a sister group that genetically diverged at least 1.9 million years ago. They are therefore considered distinct species. Gene flow between

2015-674: The African bush elephant. As human development grows, the human population faces the trouble of contact with the elephants more frequently, due to the species need for food and water. Farmers residing in nearby areas come into conflict with the African bush elephants rummaging through their crops. In many cases, they kill the elephants as soon as they disturb a village or forage upon its crops. Deaths caused by browsing on rubber vine , an invasive alien plant, have also been reported. Observations at Etosha National Park indicate that African bush elephants die due to anthrax foremost in November at

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2080-653: The Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ). Mammut americanum had a widespread distribution during the Pleistocene. Its fossil remains are found from Alaska to Florida, but are most commonly encountered in eastern America. On average, the American mastodon was around 5 meters long, 3 meters tall at the shoulder, and weighed between 3,500 and 4,500 kilograms. Living mastodons were covered with coarse, brownish hair, unlike modern elephants. Thick body hair on Pleistocene pachyderms

2145-477: The Kalahari contain high concentrations of water-soluble sodium . Elephants drink 180–230 litres (50–60 US gal) of water daily, and seem to prefer sites where water and soil contain sodium. In Kruger National Park and on the shore of Lake Kariba , elephants were observed to ingest wood ash , which also contains sodium. Africa bush elephants use their trunks for tactile communication. When greeting,

2210-691: The Wisconsinan Glacial Interval of the near-latest Pleistocene). In addition to being near-complete, the Burning Tree Mastodon is remarkable in other ways. Preserved gut contents indicated a diet of moss, seeds, leaves, water lilies, and swamp grass. Before this discovery, American mastodons were interpreted as having diets consisting principally of twigs & cones from evergreen trees. Additionally, 38 species of still-living gut bacteria were isolated from preserved intestinal contents. These ancient bacteria were, for

2275-436: The age of 24 years. Periods of musth are short and sporadic in young bulls up to 35 years old, lasting a few days to weeks. Older bulls are in musth for 2–5 months every year. Musth occurs mainly during and following the rainy season when females are in estrus. Bulls in musth often chase each other and are aggressive towards other bulls in musth. When old and high-ranking bulls in musth threaten and chase young musth bulls, either

2340-423: The age of 8–10 years. The fourth molars show by the age of 6–7 years, grow to a size of 6.8 cm (2.7 in) wide by 17.5 cm (6.9 in) long and are lost by the age of 22–23 years. The dental alveoli of the fifth molars are visible by the age of 10–11 years. They grow to a size of 8.5 cm (3.3 in) wide by 22 cm (8.7 in) long and are worn by the age of 45–48 years. The dental alveoli of

2405-402: The age of one year and lost by the age of about 2.5 years. The second molars start protruding at the age of about six months, and grow to a size of 4 cm (1.6 in) wide by 7 cm (2.8 in) long and are lost by the age of 6–7 years. The third molars protrude at the age of about one year, grow to a size of 5.2 cm (2.0 in) wide by 14 cm (5.5 in) long, and are lost by

2470-623: The bird without disturbing the feathers. Mammal study skins do not normally utilize wooden dowels, instead preparators use wire to support the legs and tail of mammals. Labels are attached to a leg of the specimen with thread or string. Heat and chemicals are sometimes used to aid the drying of study skins. Osteological collections consist of cleaned, complete and partial skeletons, crania of Vertebrates , mainly birds and mammals. They are used in studies of comparative anatomy and to identify bones from archaeological sites. Human bones are used in medical and forensic studies. In museum collections it

2535-934: The cyanobacteria caused calves and adult elephants to wander around confused, emaciated and in distress. The elephants collapsed when the toxin impaired their motor functions and their legs became paralysed. Poaching, intentional poisoning, and anthrax were excluded as potential causes. Both African elephant species have been listed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora since 1989. In 1997, populations of Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe were placed on CITES Appendix II , as were populations of South Africa in 2000. Community-based conservation programmes have been initiated in several range countries, which contributed to reducing human-elephant conflict and increasing local people's tolerance towards elephants. In 1986,

2600-568: The drought when smaller prey species were scarce. Between 1993 and 1996, lions successfully attacked 74 elephants; 26 were older than nine, and one was a bull of over 15 years. Most were killed at night, and hunts occurred more often during waning moon nights than during bright moon nights. In the same park, lions killed eight elephants in October 2005 that were aged between 1 and 11 years, two of them older than 8 years. Successful hunts took place after dark when prides exceeded 27 lions and herds were smaller than 5 elephants. The African bush elephant

2665-702: The end of the dry season. Anthrax spores spread through the intestinal tracts of vultures, jackals and hyaenas that feed on the carcasses. Anthrax killed over 100 elephants in Botswana in 2019. It is thought that wild bush elephants can contract fatal tuberculosis from humans. Infection of the vital organs by Citrobacter freundii bacteria caused the death of an otherwise healthy bush elephant after capture and translocation. From April to June 2020, over 400 bush elephants died in Botswana's Okavango Delta region after drinking from desiccating waterholes that were infested with cyanobacteria . Neurotoxins produced by

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2730-807: The first time at the age of 11 years. They are in estrus for 2–6 days. In captivity, cows have an oestrous cycle lasting 14–15 weeks. Foetal gonads enlarge during the second half of pregnancy. African bush elephants mate during the rainy season. Bulls in musth cover long distances in search of cows and associate with large family units. They listen for the cows' loud, very low frequency calls and attract cows by calling and by leaving trails of strong-smelling urine. Cows search for bulls in musth, listen for their calls, and follow their urine trails. Bulls in musth are more successful at obtaining mating opportunities than those who are not. A cow may move away from bulls that attempt to test her estrous condition. If pursued by several bulls, she will run away. Once she chooses

2795-404: The fusion of long-bone epiphyses , occurring in males around the age of 40 and females around 25 years of age. The dental formula of the African bush elephant is 1.0.3.3 0.0.3.3  × 2 = 26 . They develop six molars in each jaw quadrant that erupt at different ages and differ in size. The first molars grow to a size of 2 cm (0.79 in) wide by 4 cm (1.6 in) long, are worn by

2860-480: The increasing birth of tuskless females when the population recovered. Vast areas in Sub-Saharan Africa were transformed for agricultural use and the building of infrastructure. This disturbance leaves the elephants without a stable habitat and limits their ability to roam freely. Large corporations associated with commercial logging and mining have fragmented the land, giving poachers easy access to

2925-435: The integument, they grip the pin and secure the specimen in place on the pin. Very small, delicate specimens may instead be secured by fine steel points driven into slips of card, or glued to card points or similar attachments that in turn are pinned in the same way as entire mounted insects. The pins offer a means of handling the specimens without damage, and they also bear labels for descriptive and reference data. Once dried,

2990-504: The international ivory trade reopened in 2006, the demand and price for ivory increased in Asia. The African bush elephant population in Chad 's Zakouma National Park numbered 3,900 individuals in 2005. Within five years, more than 3,200 elephants were killed. The park did not have sufficient guards to combat poaching, and their weapons were outdated. Well-organized networks facilitated smuggling

3055-756: The ivory through Sudan. Poaching also increased in Kenya in those years. In Samburu National Reserve , 41 bulls were illegally killed between 2008 and 2012, equivalent to 31% of the reserve's elephant population. These killings were linked to confiscations of ivory and increased prices for ivory on the local black market. About 10,370 tusks were confiscated in Singapore, Hong Kong , Taiwan , Philippines , Thailand , Malaysia , Kenya and Uganda between 2007 and 2013. Genetic analysis of tusk samples showed that they originated from African bush elephants killed in Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Kenya, and Uganda. Most of

3120-628: The ivory was smuggled through East African countries. In addition to elephants being poached, their carcasses may be poisoned by the poachers to avoid detection by vultures, which help rangers detect poaching activity by circling dead animals. This poses a threat to those vultures or birds that scavenge the carcasses. On 20 June 2019, the carcasses of two tawny eagles and 537 endangered Old World vultures including 468 white-backed vultures , 17 white-headed vultures , 28 hooded vultures , 14 lappet-faced vultures and 10 Cape vultures found dead in northern Botswana were suspected to have died after eating

3185-468: The killings of the African bush elephant have occurred near the outskirts of the protected areas. Between 2003 and 2015, the illegal killing of 14,606 African bush elephants was reported by rangers across 29 range countries. Chad is a major transit country for smuggling of ivory in West Africa. This trend was curtailed by raising penalties for poaching and improving law enforcement. In June 2002,

3250-468: The last molars are visible by the age of 26–28 years. They grow to a size of 9.4 cm (3.7 in) wide by 31 cm (12 in) long and are well worn by the age of 65 years. Both sexes have tusks, which erupt when they are 1–3 years old and grow throughout life. Tusks grow from deciduous teeth known as tushes that develop in the upper jaw and consist of a crown , root and pulpal cavity, which are completely formed soon after birth. Tushes reach

3315-477: The latter leave the group or their musth ceases. Young bulls in musth killed about 50 white rhinoceros in Pilanesberg National Park between 1992 and 1997. This unusual behavior was attributed to their young age and inadequate socialisation; they were 17–25-year-old orphans from culled families that grew up without the guidance of dominant bulls. When six adult bulls were introduced into

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3380-693: The park, the young bulls did not attack rhinos anymore, indicating older bulls suppress the musth and aggressiveness of younger bulls. Similar incidents were recorded in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park , where young bulls killed five black and 58 white rhinoceros between 1991 and 2001. After the introduction of ten bulls, each up to 45 years old, the number of rhinos killed by elephants decreased considerably. Spermatogenesis starts when bulls are about 15 years old. However, males have not begun sexual cycles, not experiencing their first musth period until they are 25 or 30 years of age. Cows ovulate for

3445-560: The pinned specimens directly in larger trays or drawers that are glass-topped and stored in cabinets. In contrast to such dried specimens, soft-bodied specimens most commonly are kept in "wet collections", meaning that they are stored in alcohol or similar preservative or fixative liquids, according to the intended function. Small specimens, whether hard or soft bodied, and whether entire, dissected , or sectioned , may be stored as microscope slide preparations. "Wet" specimen collections are stored in different solutions. A very old method

3510-558: The poisoned carcasses of three elephants. Intensive poaching leads to strong selection on tusk attributes; African elephants in areas with heavy poaching often have smaller tusks and a higher frequency of congenitally tuskless females, whereas congenital tusklessness is rarely if ever observed in males. A study in Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park revealed that poaching during the Mozambican Civil War led to

3575-706: The population had declined to a herd in the Dawa River valley and one close to the Kenyan border. The core of elephant society is the family unit, which mostly comprises several adult cows, their daughters, and their prepubertal sons. Iain Douglas-Hamilton , who observed African bush elephants for 4.5 years in Lake Manyara National Park , coined the term 'kinship group' for two or more family units that have close ties. The family unit

3640-445: The result of battles with other mastodons. Preserved stomach contents and intestinal contents were also recovered. Cut marks on some of the ribs indicate that this individual was butchered by early humans. Nevertheless, stone tools were not discovered in the area. Isotopic dating of wood closely associated with the skeleton gives dates of 11,450 to 11,660 years. Isotopic dating of actual bone material gives an 11,390 year date (during

3705-453: The shoulder and 3.0 t (3.3 short tons) in weight on average (with 90% of fully grown females ranging between 2.47–2.73 m (8 ft 1 in – 8 ft 11 in) and 2.6–3.5 t (2.9–3.9 short tons)). The maximum recorded shoulder height of an adult bull is 3.96 m (13.0 ft), with this individual having an estimated weight of 10.4 t (11.5 short tons). Elephants attain their maximum stature when they complete

3770-512: The specimens may be kept in conveniently sized open trays. The bottoms of the trays are lined with a material suited to receiving and holding entomological pins securely and conveniently. Cork and foam plastics are convenient examples. However, open trays are very vulnerable to attack by museum beetle and similar pests, so such open trays are stored in turn inside glass-topped, insect-proof drawers, commonly protected by suitable pesticides or repellents or barriers. Alternatively, some museums store

3835-415: The stomach contents. A single specimen may be a composite of preparations sharing a unique number. An example would be a vertebrate with an alcohol-preserved skin and viscera, a cleared and stained head, the post-cranial dried skeleton, histological , glass slides of various organs, and frozen tissue samples. This specimen could also be a voucher for a publication, or photographs and audiotape. A voucher

3900-828: The time spent feeding until they are two years old. During the first three years, male calves spend more time suckling and grow faster than female calves. After this period, cows reject male calves more frequently from nursing than female calves. The maximum lifespan of the African bush elephant is between 70 and 75 years. Its generation length is 25 years. Adult elephants are considered invulnerable to predation. Calves, usually under two years, are sometimes preyed on by lions and spotted hyenas . Adult elephants often chase off predators, especially lions, by mobbing behavior. Juveniles are usually well defended by protective adults though serious drought makes them vulnerable to lion predation. In Botswana's Chobe National Park , lions attacked and fed on juvenile and subadult elephants during

3965-608: The two species, however, might have occurred after the split. Some authors have suggested tha t L. africana evolved from Loxodonta atlantica . The fossil record for L. africana is sparse. The earliest possible records of the species are from the Shungura Formation around Omo in Ethiopia, which are dated to the Early Pleistocene , around 2.44-2.27 million years ago. Another possible early record

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4030-742: The wet season, whereas groups were smaller in the dry season. Young bulls gradually separate from the family unit when they are between 10 and 19 years old. They range alone for some time or form all-male groups. A 2020 study highlighted the importance of old bulls for the navigation and survival of herds and raised concerns over the removal of old bulls as "currently occur[ring] in both legal trophy hunting and illegal poaching". The African bush elephant has curved skin with bending cracks, which support thermoregulation by retaining water. These bending cracks contribute to an evaporative cooling process which helps to maintain body temperature via homeothermy regardless of air temperature. The African bush elephant

4095-409: The whole shoulder, and can grow as large as 2 m × 1.5 m (6 ft 7 in × 4 ft 11 in). Its large ears help to reduce body heat; flapping them creates air currents and exposes large blood vessels on the inner sides to increase heat loss during hot weather. The African bush elephant's ears are pointed and triangular shaped. Its occipital plane slopes forward. Its back

4160-504: Was likely an evolutionary adaptation to harsh wintry climates. Remains of more than 150 mastodons have been reported in Ohio, but only about a dozen or so are semi-complete. The Burning Tree Mastodon was approximately 30 years old at the time of its death and is 90-95% complete, missing only the right rear leg, a few tail bones, two ribs, and all the toe bones. The lower spine and right rib cage have healed injuries which have been interpreted as

4225-469: Was the grounds of the Burning Tree Golf Course, southern side of Ridgley Tract Road, just west of Lake Drive, south side of Heath, southern Licking County, central Ohio, United States. The American mastodon is an extinct species of proboscidean mammal, Mammut americanum (Kerr, 1792) (Animalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, Mammalia, Proboscidea, Mammutidae). The only living proboscideans are the African elephants ( Loxodonta africana and Loxodonta cyclotis ) and

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