#97 of 100 Elephants: Platybelodon

This is a variation of the prehistoric elephant, platybelodon.

#89 of 100 Elephants: Cyclopes

In all of my studies of elephants, I found the theory that the myth of the cyclopes came from people seeing an elephant skull. They thought the nasal cavity was the one big eye. Based on this theory I thought this guy was rather humorous. I patterned the rest of the elephant after the prehistoric elephant Platybeladon.

#25 of 100 Elephants Tusks

I continues to be influenced by prehistoric elephants with number 25. I am amazed at the variety of tusks that they had. Here I pushed the amount of tusks. It is not my favorite, but I like the idea. I will continue to explore this idea.

Bow tie Guy of the Day: Gnathabelodon

Gnathabelodon 

Another of my elephant series (I am now looking to draw at least one type of elephant a week) the Gnathabelodon is an extinct ancestor to the elephant that lived during the Middle to Late Miocene epoch. Fossils have been found around North America. They are called “spoon-billed mastodons.”

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Deinotherium

Deinotherium (dīnəˈTHi(ə)rēəm)

This is part of my elephant series of bow tie guys. The deinotherium is an extinct relative to the modern elephant. They were known as the “hoe tusker” and lived during the Middle Miocene era. Adults stood over 15 feet tall and over 15 tons making this the third largest land animal to have ever existed. They roamed Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Bow Tie Guy of the Day: Platybelodon

Platybelodon
Every one in a while you find an animal that you just can't believe actually existed, but is so delightfully awkward you are just excited they did. The platybelodon is just one of those animals. Rarely does an animal I am unfamiliar with just jump out of my pencil like this one. I love it.

The platybelodon, meaning flat-spear tusk, lived during the late Miocene Epoch in Asia. They are related to the elephant.