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how heavy is paleolexidon compared to elephants

Palaeoloxodon was heavier than modern elephants , especially the giant species such as Palaeoloxodon namadicus , which some estimates place around 13 to 19 tonnes or more, versus the largest living African bush elephants at roughly 6 to 10 tonnes. That means the biggest known Palaeoloxodon may have been about 2x to 3x the mass of a very large modern elephant.

Quick comparison

Animal| Typical/estimated mass
---|---
Modern African bush elephant| about 6 to 10 tonnes 13
Palaeoloxodon from Taiwan| mean around 9.32 tonnes, with individuals over 10 tonnes 5
Palaeoloxodon namadicus| estimates range from about 13 tonnes to as high as 19 tonnes or more 19

What that means

  • A big modern elephant is already enormous, but the largest Palaeoloxodon could have been in a different league.
  • The exact number is debated because the fossil material is incomplete, so published estimates vary a lot.
  • The safest answer is: much heavier than elephants today, potentially by several tonnes and up to about triple the mass of the biggest living elephants.

Bottom line

If you meant Palaeoloxodon , the short version is: it was probably significantly heavier than any living elephant, and the biggest species may have been one of the heaviest land mammals ever.