North African Elephant
Encyclopedia
The North African Elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaoensis) was a possible subspecies of the African Bush Elephant
(Loxodonta africana), or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa until becoming extinct
in Ancient Roman times
. These were the famous war elephant
s used by Carthage
in the Punic Wars
, their conflict with the Roman Republic
. Although the subspecies has been formally described, it has not been widely recognized by taxonomists. Other names for this animal include the North African Forest Elephant, Carthaginian Elephant, and Atlas Elephant. Originally, its natural range probably extended across North Africa and down to the present Sudan
ese and Eritrea
n coasts.
es and coins minted by whoever controlled North Africa at various times show very small (perhaps 2.5 metres or 8.2 ft at the shoulder) elephants with the large ears and concave back typical of modern Loxodonta
. The North African Elephant was smaller than the modern African Bush Elephant
(L. a. africana), probably similar in size to the modern African Forest Elephant
(L. cyclotis). It is also possible that it was more docile than the African Bush Elephant, which is generally untamable, allowing the Carthaginians to tame it by a method now lost to history. Modern scholarship has disputed whether or not Carthaginian elephants were furnished with turrets in combat; despite assertions to the contrary, the evidence indicates that African forest elephants could and did carry turrets in certain military contexts.
(242 BC), the Romans wanted to capture some specimens that had been left behind in the middle of the island by the Carthaginians, but failed in the endeavor. The elephants with which Hannibal crossed the Pyrenees
and the Alps
in order to invade Italy during the Second Punic War
(218-201 BC) belonged to this group, with the exception of Hannibal's personal animal, Surus (meaning "the Syrian
," or possibly "One-Tusker"). This individual, according to his documented name and large size, may have been a specimen of the huge westernmost subspecies (Elephas maximus asurus
) of the Asian Elephant
, also now extinct.
The North African Elephant was also trained and used by the Ptolemaic dynasty
of Egypt. Writing in the 2nd century BC, Polybius
(The Histories
; 5.83) described their inferiority in battle against the larger Indian elephants used by the Seleucid
kings. A surviving Ptolemaic inscription enumerates three separate types of war elephant, the "Troglodytic" (probably Libyan), the "Ethiopian", and the "Indian". The Ptolemaic king prides himself with being the first to tame the Ethiopian elephants, a stock which could be identical to one of the two extant African species.
It is believed L. a. pharaonensis must have become extinct some decades after the Roman conquest of North Africa (perhaps in the 2nd century BC), due to overhunting for use in venatio
games. Some authorities believe that small populations may have survived along the Sudanese and Eritrean coasts until the mid-19th century, but if so, these are now certainly extinct.
sequence
analyses, if specimens of definite North African origin are located and examined.
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
(Loxodonta africana), or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa until becoming extinct
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
in Ancient Roman times
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. These were the famous war elephant
War elephant
A war elephant was an elephant trained and guided by humans for combat. Their main use was to charge the enemy, trampling them and breaking their ranks. A division of war elephants is known as elephantry....
s used by Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
in the Punic Wars
Punic Wars
The Punic Wars were a series of three wars fought between Rome and Carthage from 264 B.C.E. to 146 B.C.E. At the time, they were probably the largest wars that had ever taken place...
, their conflict with the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
. Although the subspecies has been formally described, it has not been widely recognized by taxonomists. Other names for this animal include the North African Forest Elephant, Carthaginian Elephant, and Atlas Elephant. Originally, its natural range probably extended across North Africa and down to the present Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
ese and Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
n coasts.
Description
Carthaginian frescoFresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es and coins minted by whoever controlled North Africa at various times show very small (perhaps 2.5 metres or 8.2 ft at the shoulder) elephants with the large ears and concave back typical of modern Loxodonta
Loxodonta
African elephants are the species of elephants in the genus Loxodonta , one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. Although it is commonly believed that the genus was named by Georges Cuvier in 1825, Cuvier spelled it Loxodonte...
. The North African Elephant was smaller than the modern African Bush Elephant
African Bush Elephant
The African Bush Elephant or African Savanna Elephant is the larger of the two species of African elephant. Both it and the African Forest Elephant have usually been classified as a single species, known simply as the African Elephant...
(L. a. africana), probably similar in size to the modern African Forest Elephant
African Forest Elephant
The African Forest Elephant is a forest dwelling elephant of the Congo Basin. Formerly considered either a synonym or a subspecies of the African Savanna Elephant , a 2010 study established that the two are distinct species...
(L. cyclotis). It is also possible that it was more docile than the African Bush Elephant, which is generally untamable, allowing the Carthaginians to tame it by a method now lost to history. Modern scholarship has disputed whether or not Carthaginian elephants were furnished with turrets in combat; despite assertions to the contrary, the evidence indicates that African forest elephants could and did carry turrets in certain military contexts.
History
After their conquest of SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
(242 BC), the Romans wanted to capture some specimens that had been left behind in the middle of the island by the Carthaginians, but failed in the endeavor. The elephants with which Hannibal crossed the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
and the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
in order to invade Italy during the Second Punic War
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War, also referred to as The Hannibalic War and The War Against Hannibal, lasted from 218 to 201 BC and involved combatants in the western and eastern Mediterranean. This was the second major war between Carthage and the Roman Republic, with the participation of the Berbers on...
(218-201 BC) belonged to this group, with the exception of Hannibal's personal animal, Surus (meaning "the Syrian
Syrian Elephant
The Syrian elephant is a proposed name for the westernmost population of the Asian Elephant which became extinct in ancient times...
," or possibly "One-Tusker"). This individual, according to his documented name and large size, may have been a specimen of the huge westernmost subspecies (Elephas maximus asurus
Syrian Elephant
The Syrian elephant is a proposed name for the westernmost population of the Asian Elephant which became extinct in ancient times...
) of the Asian Elephant
Asian Elephant
The Asian or Asiatic elephant is the only living species of the genus Elephas and distributed in Southeast Asia from India in the west to Borneo in the east. Three subspecies are recognized — Elephas maximus maximus from Sri Lanka, the Indian elephant or E. m. indicus from mainland Asia, and E. m....
, also now extinct.
The North African Elephant was also trained and used by the Ptolemaic dynasty
Ptolemaic dynasty
The Ptolemaic dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal family which ruled the Ptolemaic Empire in Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 BC to 30 BC...
of Egypt. Writing in the 2nd century BC, Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
(The Histories
The Histories (Polybius)
Polybius’ Histories were originally written in 40 volumes, only the first five of which are existent in their entirety. The bulk of the work is passed down to us through collections of excerpts kept in libraries in Byzantium, for the most part....
; 5.83) described their inferiority in battle against the larger Indian elephants used by the Seleucid
Seleucid Empire
The Seleucid Empire was a Greek-Macedonian state that was created out of the eastern conquests of Alexander the Great. At the height of its power, it included central Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan.The Seleucid Empire was a major centre...
kings. A surviving Ptolemaic inscription enumerates three separate types of war elephant, the "Troglodytic" (probably Libyan), the "Ethiopian", and the "Indian". The Ptolemaic king prides himself with being the first to tame the Ethiopian elephants, a stock which could be identical to one of the two extant African species.
It is believed L. a. pharaonensis must have become extinct some decades after the Roman conquest of North Africa (perhaps in the 2nd century BC), due to overhunting for use in venatio
Venatio
Venatio was a form of entertainment in Roman amphitheaters involving the hunting and slaying of wild animals. Exotic wild beasts from the far reaches of the Roman Empire were brought to Rome and hunts were held in the morning prior to the afternoon main event of gladiatorial duels...
games. Some authorities believe that small populations may have survived along the Sudanese and Eritrean coasts until the mid-19th century, but if so, these are now certainly extinct.
Taxonomic uncertainty
Given the relatively recent date of its disappearance, the status of this population can probably be resolved through ancient DNAAncient DNA
Ancient DNA is DNA isolated from ancient specimens. It can be also loosely described as any DNA recovered from biological samples that have not been preserved specifically for later DNA analyses...
sequence
DNA sequence
The sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
analyses, if specimens of definite North African origin are located and examined.