Revival of the taxon Mammuthus intermedius (Jourdan, 1861), a mammoth (Mammalia, Elephantidae) of the European upper Middle Pleistocene

The study of the Pleistocene Proboscidean remains from the Lyon area in France leads to a revival of the taxon Elephas intermedius Jourdan, 1861. The lamellae are more closed up, and the enamel is thinner than for the teeth of M. trogontherii from the medium part of the Middle Pleistocene; the lamellae are more spaced and the enamel is thicker than for the teeth of the Upper Pleistocene M. primigenius. M. chosaricus Dubrovo, 1966 is no more than a junior synonym of M. intermedius, and many fossils that were before classified as evoluted M. trogontherii or primitive M. primigenius must be attributed to it. A neotype is established for M. intermedius. (c) 2005 Academie des sciences. Publie par Elsevier SAS. Tous droits reserves.