Amebelodon fossil elephant (lower jaw) from the Upper Miocene of Florida, USA (UF 217472, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA).

Modern elephants (proboscideans) have two tusks emerging from their upper jaw. Some fossil proboscideans had four tusks - a pair from the upper jaw and a pair from the lower jaw (mandible).

Amebelodon is one of these odd, four-tusked fossil elephants. Its lower tusks were nestled against each other and were dorso-ventrally flattened, forming a shovel-like structure (this protruded from the large opening at the front of this specimen). Amebelodon was herbivorous, as are other proboscideans. Its “shovel” aided the animal in scooping up lacustrine vegetation, removing tree bark, and other activities. The body size of various species of Amebelodon ranged from larger than to smaller than living elephant species.

Amebelodon remains have been found in the Upper Miocene of North America, eastern Asia, and northern Africa. These fossil occurrences date from about 5 to 9 million years.