Talk:Dwarf elephant

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[edit] Stegodon

Should this page be merged with Stegodon? Or is Stegodon just one type of dwarf elephant?

--Jarich 23:33, 6 Mar 2005 (UTC)

No, because not all Stegodon are dwarf elephants. Not all are dwarfed because of isolation on islands. Pmaas 10:07, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Please be more specific

The page says that the dwarf elephant "evolved to a fraction of the size of their modern ancestors". What fraction? 1/100 is a fraction. 99/100 is a fraction. 1/1 is a fraction. Even 22/3 is a fraction.

And: "Modern ancestors". Isn't that a contradiction?

Devil Master 18:02, 27 Sep 2005 (MET)

Modern ancestors is indeed a contradiction, but I see that has been changed already. About "what fraction?". It is impossible to give one number, because the different species/ subspecies on the different islands had all different sizes. Some were only a bit smaller, other extremely small compared to their mainland ancestors. Pmaas 10:12, 29 December 2005 (UTC)

So please give examples, especially the adult size of the smallest known species. Osomec 21:30, 5 March 2006 (UTC)

I will look into it, although not all scientific articles give exact sizes. I will read them again. Pmaas 20:28, 7 March 2006 (UTC)

The text already says that the Sulawesi dwarf was only 1,5 m high. The one from Cyprus weight only 200 kg, which is a weight reduction of 98% from the 10-tonne ancestor. Molars are reduced to approximately 40% the linear size of mainland P. antiquus. Peter Maas 09:22, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

The Falconeri elephant was only 90cm (3ft) tall, smaller than a pony horse! It had a weight of app. 150 kilos. When the ancient greeks found their skulls they theorized these belonged to a race of 3 meter tall one-eyed giants. The greeks called this hypothetical people "the cyclops" because they thought these giants built the massive prehistoric cyclopean stone walls found on some aegen islands. 81.0.79.88 19:51, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

I think Devil_Master's point is that "a fraction" does not necessarily even have to be smaller than the original number, although I can't think of anyone ever using it in that context 129.49.105.146 18:44, 29 November 2006 (UTC)Dave

[edit] It is not a wolly mammoth

The Elephas creticus cannot be renamed Mammuthus creticus, according to some scholars and a new study in 2007. The Poulakakis s research on DNA of 2006 is wrong, while the Bate's theory is groundless. I am adding the lines and relative sources (eg. "Biology Letters", Vol. 3, #1, Feb 22, 2007 - ISSN: 1744-9561) Jack 16:00, 13 Feb 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for adding it and using a reference! Peter Maas\^talk 14:30, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

But see doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0537 and doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0555 Dysmorodrepanis (talk) 04:53, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Loxoclonic falconeri

Considering fluid marrow was found in a 65 million year old T-Rex bone in 2005, what are the chances of gaining useful complete DNA from flaconeri elephant bones? If the 3ft tall mini elephant could be cloned back to life it would be a revolution in human-animal relations. Dogs, horses and cats live 15 years maximum, so people do not fully associate with their pets for fear of loss. Elephants live 70-80 years and could be pals for life. A household micro elephant would be more of an equal to humans rather than a pet. Also, household mini elephants could guarantee the survival of large in the wild elephants, I am mean look at baby elephants, all people are crazy about them. Even if the rich alone could afford micro elephants initially, it would still change the world. 81.0.79.88 19:59, 24 March 2007 (UTC)

"what are the chances of gaining useful complete DNA from flaconeri elephant bones?" - zero, except when lim d/dt -> infinite. It's organic. It decomposes.

Better get some of the "DNA research" papers. There is a reply to the critique which AFAIK is basically yes thanks for the input but you missed the point. And "DNA research"... the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy used "DNA research" and that was back in the phenetics era What sequence and what was found? Dysmorodrepanis (talk) 04:41, 8 January 2008 (UTC)