Eozygodon ( "dawn yoke-tooth") is an extinct genus of proboscidean in the family Mammutidae. It is a monotypic genus that contains the single species E. morotoensis, named in 1983.Tassy, P. and Pickford, M. (1983). Un nouveau mastodonte zygolophodonte (Proboscidea, Mammalia) dans le Miocène Inférieur d'Afrique orientale: Systématique et paléoenvironnement. Géobios 16: 53-77. It is known from the Early Miocene of Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Namibia) and well as possibly the Middle Miocene of China. It is considered a primitive member of the family, retaining a long lower jaw (longirostrine) with lower tusks. The upper tusks are small, and are only slightly divergent from each other. The skull of the young adult (around 24-26 years old in African elephant tooth wear equivalent years) AM 02 from Auchas, Namibia, was around the size of that of a 10 year old American mastodon,Tassy, P. 2018. Remarks on the cranium of Eozygodon morotoensis (Proboscidea, Mammalia) from the early Miocene of Africa, and the question of the monophyly of Elephantimorpha. Revue Paléobiologie, Genève, 37:593-607. around in maximum length.M. Pickford "New Proboscidea from the Miocene strata of the lower Orange River Valley, Namibia" Memoir Geological Survey Namibia, 19 (2003), pp. 207-256 Some authors suggest that Eozygodon could be less closely related to other members of Mammutidae than other mammutids are to Elephantida, making Mammutidae as typically defined paraphyletic.
Palaeoecology Dental mesowear from East African specimens suggests a browsing diet. δ13Cenamel values in E. morotoensis from Moroto were very high.
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