Deinotheriidae

Deinotheriidae
Temporal range: Late Oligocene– Early Pleistocene
Deinotherium
Life restoration of Deinotherium bozasi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Suborder: Plesielephantiformes
Family: Deinotheriidae
Bonaparte, 1845
Type genus
Deinotherium
Kaup, 1829
Genera

Subfamily †Chilgatheriinae

Chilgatherium

Subfamily †Deinotheriinae

Prodeinotherium
Deinotherium

Deinotheriidae ("terrible beasts") is a family of prehistoric elephant-like proboscideans that lived during the Cenozoic era, first appearing in Africa, then spreading across South Asia (Indo-Pakistan) and Europe. During that time, they changed very little, apart from growing much larger in size; by the late Miocene, they had become the largest land animals of their time. Their most distinctive features were their lack of upper tusks and downward-curving tusks on the lower jaw.

Deinotheres were not very diverse; the only three known genera are Chilgatherium, Prodeinotherium, and Deinotherium. These form an evolutionary succession, with each new genus replacing the preceding one. The last deinotheres persisted until the end of the Early Pleistocene in Africa, around 1 million years ago.