| In a recent monograph, Maglio (1973) states that Stegodon hypsilophus Hooijer (1954a) must be considered a synonym of Elephas celebensis (Hooijer, 1949). Though Elephas celebensis is smaller-toothed and more hypsodont than the "hypsilophous stegodont" of Java (width of M3 42-52 mm against 62-64 mm; height-width index 106-116 against 87-89: Hooijer, 1954a, b; Maglio, 1973: 46, table 21), Maglio (1973: 47) considers the differences not great when the degree of variation of known samples (in other species) is allowed for. Over the years, I studied molars of pygmy proboscideans from various Indonesian islands, and it never occurred to me that the Java pygmy would be same as that from Celebes until this suggestion was put forth by Dr. Maglio. I had described... |
