Body size in proboscideans, with notes on elephant metabolism

Abstract

Mass estimates for a number of fossil proboscideans were computed using regression analyses on appendicular bones to body mass, for seven specimens of modern elephants, for which body masses had been recorded prior to death. The marked differences in physical proportions between extant Loxodonta and Elephas , implying substantial differences in body mass at any given shoulder height, were not present in their long bone parameters. Length and least circumferences proved to be the best parameters for prediction of body mass. Some extinct proboscideans, notably certain Mammuthus and Deinotherium , were much larger than extant elephants. Both the basal and the field metabolic rates of extant elephants are lower than predicted for a hypothetical mammal, in accordance with their body size and subsistence on low-quality foods. The feeding quantities often ascribed to extant wild elephants are exaggerated, and would in fact have sufficed to nourish much larger species.

The three-dimensional locomotor dynamics of African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants reveal a smooth gait transition at moderate speed

“…As the epitome of graviportal animals (Gregory 1912;Gray 1968;Coombs 1978), elephants possess pillar-like legs for supporting their massive body weight (exceeding 7000 kg in some animals ;Wood 1972;Christiansen 2004). Even at moderately fast speeds, elephants hold their legs relatively straight when on the ground, with estimated strain levels in lower leg bones similar to those of much smaller running animals (Alexander 1977;Alexander et al 1979;Rubin & Lanyon 1984;Biewener & Taylor 1986).…”

A dwarf elephant and a rock mouse on Naxos (Cyclades, Greece) with a revision of the palaeozoogeography of the Cycladic Islands (Greece) during the Pleistocene

“…Table 3 Body mass indices (Si) of Mediterranean dwarf elephant species with P. antiquus as ancestor. Most body mass estimations were based on postcranial elements and were calculated using the equations of Christiansen (2004). Three indices were based on dental elements (here indicated with an asterisk; for details see relevant species).…”

Deformations of the Cervical and Cranial Thoracic Vertebrae in a Bedridden Asian Elephant

“…The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is the second largest terrestrial mammal, and the maximum record of body mass in the captive elephant is 6492 kg [2]. In such large mammals, it is difficult to keep upright posture by the artificial force when they lost the ability to stand due to injury or senile deterioration.…”