Marc Kissel Profile picture
Mar 27, 2018 18 tweets 8 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
Next up: No. 2 ranked Amebelodon fricki vs. no. 7 ranked Homo floresiensis!!! #2018MMM
In the first round Amebelodon sent Deinogalerix koenigswald flying through the air, while Homo floresiensis outwitted the tiny Palaeoloxodon #2018MMM
Amebelodon is a member of the Gomphotheriidae family, a group of extinct elephant-like mammals. Whether all the species currently placed in the amebelodon genus are descended from a common ancestor (e.g., are monophyletic) or not is a topic of some debate #2018MMM
Some Amebelodon were huge, with a mass of over 20,000 lbs (9071 kgs, or ~41 kilostoats ). A. fricki was probably larger than a modern elephant, but its exact size seems uncertain. #2018MMM
As we learned before, Amebelodon are distinguished by having both upper and lower tusks, with the lower ones flattened & narrow, leading to the name"shovel-tusked" #2018MMM
Homo floresensis, also known as "Hobbits", is a 1.1 meter tall hominin. Its phylogenetic status is also up to debate. This paper by Karen Baab is a great overview of what is known about this species: goo.gl/Re3obM #2018MMM
"As mentioned 2 weeks ago, the cause of Flo's short stature could be due to pathology or due to island dwarfism, though recent work suggests the island dwarfism hypothesis best fits the current data #2018MMM
"
Amebelodon fossils are found throughout North America, including the Moss Acres Racetrack site in north Florida and the Ash Hollow Formation of Nebraska. goo.gl/rvQXGy #2018MMM
Our battle takes place in what is present day Nebraska 7 million years ago (the late Miocene). Flo is not really accustomed to this environment (see "Komodo Dragon vs. Eurasian Eagle Owl" from earlier tonight for more on island of Flores) & is getting cold #2018MMM
Flo sets off for some shelter from the weather. There is <some> evidence that they used fire but few archaeologists are convinced by this. When human ancestors controlled fire is a hot topic #NotGoingToFanFlamesOfDebateHere #2018MMM
"Homo floresiensis sees a massive animal approaching in the distance. As it get closer, she notes it is 400 times bigger than she is! But Flo is tired, hungry, and still jazzed about her victory over the mini elephant #2018MMM
"
Humans have interacted with elephants for hundreds of thousands of years. The field of Ethnoelephantology studies "human and elephant relationships" goo.gl/oqwoQs #2018MMM
Prehistoric hunters in what is now North America may have killed mammoth and cached the meat for later...but these were modern humans and not a 1.1 meter tall hominin goo.gl/nLxYEc #2018MMM
Amebelodon is startled by the hominin. Startled elephants often stampede and Ambelodon charges right towards Flo! #2018MMM
Stampeding elephants are very dangerous. According to the Worst Case Survival Handbook you should take cover rather than try to outrun them. goo.gl/iY9Z8u #2018MMM
Description of surviving a stampede from "Elephant Gold" by P.D. Stracey:"[the elephant] suddenly whipped round & charged him; he tripped...& sat down at the base of a tree &perhaps this may have made the elephant lose sight of him & charge on.." goo.gl/Tk9DZN #2018MMM
Flo tumbles out of the way before Amebeoldon reaches her & she runs to hide in a neaby tree #smart #2018MMM
AMEBELODON SCARES OFF HOMO FLORESIENSIS #2018MMM

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More from @MarcKissel

Mar 30, 2018
And LAST but not LEAST of the #EliteTrait, we have #1 seeded Doedicurus clavicaudatus vs. #2 Amebelodon fricki!!! #2018MMM
Tonight's battle is a 3-way collaboration by me, @PKurnath & @tinkeringprim8, so hold on to your tush! #TeamAwesome #TeamDiscoveryChannel #2018MMM
Doedicurus a.k.a. #TankMammal has taken out the Jugulator, Thalassocnus catans, and Andrewsarchus mongoliensis, while Amebelodon a.k.a. "shovel-tusker" has defeated Deinogalerix koenigswald, Homo floresensis, and Dimetrodon limbatus #winning #taxonomicmouthful #2018MMM
Read 22 tweets
Mar 23, 2018
NEXT UP: #4 Tasmanian Devil Vs. #5 Water Deer!!! #2018MMM
Tasmanian Devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) devoured the ghost bat in the first round, while Water Deer (Hydropotes inermis) managed to scare away the solenodon (none of this was controversial at all amongst the fandom...) #truth #2018MMM
The T. Devil is 6-8kg (that's 27-36 stoats for those of you playing at home) and can catch mammals up to 30 kg. The Water Deer weighs in at 9-14 kg (40-63 stoats). #stoatsasmeasurement #2018MMM
Read 17 tweets
Mar 20, 2018
NEXT UP: 8th seeded Bristol Fox (Vulpes vulpes) vs 9th seeded Racoon (Procyon lotor) #2018MMM
Our penultimate battle of the night (written mostly by
@chumblebiome) features two members of the taxonomic order Carnivora, which means they have a specialization for eating meat: #carnassials. Skull images from @NMNH #2018MMM
However, being part of Order Carnivora doesn't mean they only eat meat. Both of these Carnivorans can eat an omnivorous diet consisting of both plants and other animals. This makes them highly adaptable to many different types of environments! #UrbanJungle #2018MMM
Read 20 tweets
Mar 15, 2018
NEXT UP: #5 seed Water deer ((Hydropotes inermis) vs. #12 seed solenodon (Solenodon paradoxus) #2018MMM
The Water Deer ranges from China to Korea, but has been imported to the UK and other parts of the world. The name refers to its preference for coastal plains, marshy areas, & riparian regions (map from: #SATword #2018MMM
Unlike many other deer they don't have antlers, their GREAT ADAPTATION are *mostly* in their mouth: The upper canines are "saber-like," which makes it look like something out of Bunnicula (Deernicula?) #2018MMM
Read 14 tweets

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