▁of ▁ele ph ants . ▁ ▁In ▁B ard ia ▁National ▁Park ▁in ▁Nep al , ▁ ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁Indian ▁ele ph ants , ▁possibly ▁due ▁to ▁in bre eding , ▁exhib its ▁many ▁Ste god on - like ▁morph ological ▁features . ▁These ▁primitive ▁features ▁are ▁considered ▁recent ▁mut ations ▁rather ▁than ▁at av isms . ▁ ▁F oss ils ▁of ▁the ▁small , ▁special ized ▁ste god ont ▁S . ▁aur ora e ▁are ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Os aka ▁P lain , ▁Japan , ▁and ▁date ▁from ▁around ▁ 2 ▁million ▁to ▁ 7 ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁This ▁species ▁possibly ▁evol ved ▁from ▁S . ▁sh in sh u ensis . ▁ ▁Ph y log eny ▁ ▁The ▁following ▁cl ad ogram ▁shows ▁the ▁pla cement ▁of ▁the ▁genus ▁Ste god on ▁among ▁other ▁prob os cide ans , ▁based ▁on ▁hy oid ▁characteristics : ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Category : Pre histor ic ▁ele ph ants ▁Category : P li oc ene ▁prob os cide ans ▁Category : P le ist oc ene ▁prob os cide ans ▁Category : M i oc ene ▁genus ▁first ▁appearances ▁Category : Pre histor ic ▁m amm al ▁gener a ▁Category : Ext inct ▁animals ▁of ▁North ▁America ▁Category : F oss il ▁tax a ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁Category : T ax a ▁named ▁by ▁Hugh ▁Fal con er ▁Category : P le ist oc ene ▁genus ▁ext in ctions <0x0A> </s> ▁Herbert ▁My att ▁( 1 8 8