▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁main ▁pre y ▁of ▁the ▁still - ext ant ▁Kom odo ▁drag on ▁before ▁modern ▁humans ▁introduced ▁their ▁modern ▁main ▁pre y ▁in ▁its ▁range , ▁band ed ▁p ig , ▁r usa ▁de er , ▁and ▁water ▁buff alo . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁past , ▁ste god ont s ▁were ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁true ▁ele ph ants ▁and ▁m amm oth s , ▁but ▁currently ▁they ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁no ▁modern ▁descend ants . ▁Ste god on ▁may ▁be ▁derived ▁from ▁Ste g ol oph odon , ▁an ▁ext inct ▁genus ▁known ▁from ▁the ▁Mi oc ene ▁of ▁Asia . ▁Ste god on ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁sister ▁group ▁of ▁ele ph ants ▁and ▁m amm oth s . ▁Some ▁tax onom ists ▁consider ▁the ▁ste god ont s ▁a ▁sub family ▁of ▁the ▁Ele ph ant idae . ▁Both ▁Ste g ol oph odon ▁and ▁primitive ▁ele ph ants ▁were ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁G om ph other i idae . ▁The ▁most ▁important ▁difference ▁between ▁Ste god on ▁and ▁( other ) ▁Ele ph ant idae ▁can ▁be ▁observed ▁in ▁the ▁mol ars . ▁Ste god ont ▁mol ars ▁consist ▁of ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁low , ▁roof - sh aped ▁rid ges , ▁whereas ▁in ▁ele ph ants , ▁each ▁r idge ▁has ▁become ▁a ▁high - c rown ed ▁plate . ▁Furthermore , ▁ste god ont ▁ske let ons ▁are ▁more ▁robust ▁and ▁compact ▁than ▁those