大象崛起 Evolution of Elephants

在分類學上大象屬於哺乳綱、長鼻目，從化石記錄中，最早的長鼻目動物乃起源於六千萬年前（古新世）非洲北部摩洛哥附近的始長鼻獸(Ertherium)，體重僅有5公斤，大約像是成年家貓一般大小。經歷了長時間且複雜的演化歷程，發展出長鼻、巨大的身軀與伸長的大門牙，大約有200種大象曾經廣泛分布在世界各地。而今卻正面臨滅絕的危機。

The earliest known fossil proboscidean is named Ertherium. It was discovered in Morocco and around 60 million years old. The body weight is around 5 kg, the size of a adult cat. The sequence evolution of the Proboscidea is marked by dramatic further increase in size, lengthening of the legs, enlargement of the skull, and growth of up to massive tusks. The Proboscidea produced around 200 diverse species, however, almost all now extinct.