Overview
Mastodons (also spelled mastodonts) are extinct members of the family Mammutidae, placed in the genus Mammut. They disappeared from the fossil record around 11,000 years ago. Although not the same as modern species, mastodons are closely related to living elephants as part of a larger group of large terrestrial mammals.
Classification
Mastodons belong to the order Proboscidea, which also includes living elephants and other extinct lineages such as the mammoths. Within that order, mastodons are placed in a distinct family (Mammutidae) and the genus genus Mammut, reflecting differences in anatomy and teeth from other proboscideans.
Size and build
Adult mastodons were large animals, typically standing about 2.5 to 3 metres (8–10 feet) tall at the shoulder. Estimated body mass for mature individuals is commonly given in the range of roughly 3,500 to 5,400 kilograms (about 4–6 tons), making them comparable in bulk to some modern elephant species though differing in proportions and skeletal details.
Diet and teeth
Evidence from their teeth indicates mastodons were predominantly browsers, feeding on leaves, twigs and branches rather than grazing grasses. Their molar teeth have distinctive cusped patterns suited for crushing and shredding woody vegetation, a different dental adaptation from the flat, ridged teeth of grazing proboscideans.