Mastodon is the most primitive elephants in Sangiran. They lived in Miocene around 5 mya, and became extinct in early Pleistocene or at around 10,000 years ago. Mastodon is predominantly forest dwelling animals. Mastodon has the similar size compare to modern elephants, but more heavily muscled and have hair on their skin. The maxilla has two long curved tusks, and the smaller tusks in the mandible. Another characteristic is the teeth. The bunodont and brachydont molars indicated the simple teeth of early herbivore. Mastodon is herbivorous, and the main diets are leaves, the shoots, and smooth parts of plants. Mastodon’s fossils were first found in Sangiran at January 5, 1992, by Marjono in Pucangan Formation], dated to 1,8 mya, in the form of maxilla and molar fossils. (Pipit Puji Lestari, Marlia Yulianti Rosyidah, Febri Wijanarko, Iwan SB) Plese click here
