Palaeoloxodon iolensis

Palaeoloxodon iolensis, also spelled jolensis, is an extinct species of elephant. The type specimen is located in the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.[1] It is either considered the descendant species or last evolutionary stage of Palaeoloxodon recki in Africa.[2] It is only known from isolated molars. The species is known from remains found across Africa (including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa, and Kenya) dating to the late Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene, with some authors suggesting an exclusively late Middle Pleistocene age.[2] Like P. recki, they are thought to have been dedicated grazers, being distinguished from earlier P. recki by having increased hypsodonty and enamel folding, with the plates being thicker along the long axis of the tooth.[2] Following the extinction of the species, it was largely replaced by the modern African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana).[2]

Palaeoloxodon iolensis Temporal range: late Middle Pleistocene-Late Pleistocene
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea
Family:	Elephantidae
Genus:	†Palaeoloxodon
Species:	†P. iolensis
Binomial name
†Palaeoloxodon iolensis (Pomel, 1895)
Synonyms
Elephas iolensis Elephas jolensis

The species is usually spelled iolensis, however, the original intended spelling appears to be jolensis.[2] While originally placed in Elephas, it is now placed in Palaeoloxodon.[3] Some authors continue to use the genus Elephas.[2]