Photo: Elephant "Missing Link" Fossil Found, Study Says

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An artist's rendering (top) shows two species of elephant ancestors: A new species dubbed Eritreum melakeghebrekristosi, which lived about 27 million years ago, was tiny compared to Gomphotherium angustidens, which flourished between 12 and 2 million years ago.

A fossil jawbone (bottom) of E. melakeghebrekristosi recently found in Africa might represent a "missing link" between elephants and their ancestors.

Illustration by Gary H. Marchant; fossil images courtesy PNAS

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