Palaeoloxodon cypriotes

Cyprus dwarf elephant Temporal range: Late Pleistocene–Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Molar and jaw fragments from type locality
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Family:	Elephantidae
Genus:	†Palaeoloxodon
Species:	†P. cypriotes
Binomial name
†Palaeoloxodon cypriotes (Bate, 1904)
Synonyms
Elephas cypriotes Bate 1904

Palaeoloxodon cypriotes is an extinct species of dwarf elephant that inhabited the island of Cyprus during the Late Pleistocene. A probable descendant of the large straight-tusked elephant of mainland Europe and West Asia, the species is among the smallest known dwarf elephants, with fully grown individuals having an estimated shoulder height of only 1 metre (3.3 ft). It represented only one of two large animal species on the island alongside the Cypriot pygmy hippopotamus. The species became extinct around 12,000 years ago, around the time humans first colonised Cyprus, and potential (but disputed) evidence of human hunting has been found.