What is Gomphotherium?
{{italictitle}} {{Taxobox | colour = rgb(220,220,183) |image = Gomphotherium productum.jpg | image_caption = ''Gomphotherium productum'' at the [[American Museum of Natural History|AMNH]] |fossil_range = early [[Miocene]] to <br/>early [[Pliocene]] |regnum = [[Animal]]ia |classis = [[Mammalia]] |ordo = [[Proboscidea]] |familia = †[[Gomphotheriidae]] |genus = †'''''Gomphotherium''''' |genus_authority = Burmeister, 1837 |synonyms = * ''Trilophodon'' * ''Tetrabelodon'' * ''Serridentinus''}} '''''Gomphotherium''''' is an extinct [[genus]] of [[proboscidea|proboscid]] which evolved in the lower [[Miocene]] of [[North America]]. It survived from 13.65{{ndash}}1.7 million years ago (mya).<ref>Wang, Wei ''et al'' 2014. Early Pleistocene large-mammal fauna associated with ''Gigantopithecus'' at Mohui Cave, Bubing Basin, South China. ''Quaternary International'' '''354''': 122–130. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263930469_Early_Pleistocene_large-mammal_fauna_associated_with_Gigantopithecus_at_Mohui_Cave_Bubing_Basin_South_China]</ref> They spread to [[Asia]], [[Europe]] and [[Africa]] after a drop in [[sea level]] allowed them to cross over.<ref>Alberdi M.T. ''et al'' 2007. Historical biogeography of trilophodont Gomphotheres (Mammalia, Proboscidea) reconstructed applying dispersion-vicariance analysis. In Díaz-Martínez E. & Rábano I. (eds) ''Proceedings of the 4th European meeting on the palaeontology and stratigraphy of Latin America''. Madrid: Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, pp. 9–14.</ref> It survived into the [[Pliocene]], and its remains have been found in [[Chile]], [[china]], [[France]], [[Germany]], [[Austria]], [[Kansas]], [[Tennessee]], [[Pakistan]], [[Kenya]] and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]. [[File:Knight Gomphotherium.jpg|thumb|right|''G. angustidens'' by [[Charles R. Knight]]]] ''Gomphotherium'' stood around {{convert|3|m|ft}} high with an estimated weight of 4-5 [[ton]]s, and looked similar to a modern [[elephant]].<ref>Paleofiles. [https://sites.google.com/site/paleofilescom/gomphother