[colorshapetexture (OP)]

The Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) is an extinct species of elephant of the Quaternary period that appeared in North America (in the present United States and to as far south as Nicaragua and Honduras) during the late Pleistocene.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_Mammoth [nofollow]

My question is... Why name it Columbian? They never lived in Columbia. Whats up with this?

Why not the North American Mammoth?

[JimBob]

North America is named Columbia almost from the discovery of north America by Columbus. ----  Columbus - Columbia ?  Get it??

[Bill S]

OK, but if it's a mammoth, why describe it as a species of elephant?

[CliffordK]

OK, but if it's a mammoth, why describe it as a species of elephant?

Perhaps the term or phrasing was poorly chosen.  It is Wikipedia after all. 

If you look at the biology classifications.

Mammoths:
Family:    Elephantidae
Tribe:      Elephantini
Genus:    Mammuthus

Elephants:
Family:    Elephantidae
Tribe:      Elephantini
Genus:    Elephas

Anyway, the mammoths are very closely related to the elephants, much closer related than the mastodons, but rather than saying an extinct elephant, it should have said extinct related to elephants, or extinct Elephantidae/Elephantini.  Although, I'm seeing the tribe listed as either Elephantini or Elephants. 

See Wikipedia which lists both Mammoths and Elephants to be members of the Elephant Species (but not Mastodons).

[JimBob]

Mastodons are elephants.     It is just another name for a elephant.   Eohippus is the Dawn Horse - as are many other species of Eohippus.       The radius and ulna are twisted - WHY??  tibia and the fibula seem like ours.