Primelephas

Primelephas is an extinct genus of primitive elephantid that lived in Africa during the Late Miocene to early Pliocene, roughly 7.2 to 4 million years ago, and its name means first elephant. Fossils have been found in Kenya, Ethiopia, Chad, Uganda and Tanzania. Members of the genus kept permanent premolar teeth, unlike modern elephants, and their teeth were low crowned with few lamellae. Analysis of humerus bones suggests a size comparable to the living African bush elephant. Only two species have been named, Primelephas gomphotheroides and Primelephas korotorensis, and some scholars think that only one is valid. Its relationship to other elephantids has been debated.