The first ancestor of modern elephants lived approximately 60 million years ago. It was called Moeritherium after the place where it was discovered, the Moeris Lake in Egypt. Moeritherium did not resemble the elephants of today. Much smaller than the modern elephant, it was bout the size of tapir with a short tail and no trunk. Moeritherium lived as an amphibian, similar to a hippopotamus, in the northern part of the African Continent. Though its form and appearance were completely different from the elephant, scientists base Moeritherium's ancestry of the elephant on its skull and its teeth. The skull had air holes, just like the elephant's, and small tusks grew up from the lower jaw. There were other common features as well.

After Moeritherium, the animals in the order Proboscidea increased in variety. Although they differed in appearance, they shared the main characteristics of skull and teeth. Some early Proboscidea had two pairs of tusks, growing from both the upper and lower jaws. All or nearly all of the first Proboscideans inhabited the African Continent, until the beginning of the Miocene Period about 26 million years ago. The descendants of Moeritherium then migrated all over the world, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica

maximusAfter Moeritherium, the animals in the order Proboscidea increased in variety. Although they differed in appearance, they shared the main characteristics of skull and teeth. Some early Proboscidea had two pairs of tusks, growing from both the upper and lower jaws. All or nearly all of the first Proboscideans inhabited the African Continent, until the beginning of the Miocene Period about 26 million years ago. The descendants of Moeritherium then migrated all over the world, with the exception of Australia and Antarctica

äÁèDuring the Miocene Period, between 26 and 12 million years ago, the Proboscideans increased in diversity. There were literally hundreds of species at one point, but by the beginning of the Holocene Period around 10,000 years ago, only two species remained: African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus). The main differences between the two species are anatomical. The African elephant has a more elongated skull, a trunk with deep rings, larger ears, a flat forehead and, in general, holds its head at a 45 - degree angel to the ground. Asian elephants have a double - bulged forehead, a trunk with fewer rings, smaller ears and a skull with a 90 - degree orientation. Among Asian elephants only males (Chang Plai) have tusks, though some have only tiny tusks called Khanai (or none at all). As for the African elephant, both females (Chang Pang) and males have long tusks, even longer than the Asians'. In the area of general temperament and intelligence, Asian elephants are cleverer, with a good memory, and can be trained to work easily. The African elephant is more difficult to domesticate and train, wilder and less intelligent. Asian elephants like to live in a habitat where the weather is cool and humid with an abundance of grass and water, in the thick forest without too much sunshine. African elephants prefer to live in the savanna where the weather is extremely hot. They do not like thick forests.

It is said that in Thailand, there once lived a pygmy or humpbacked elephant, Chang Khom or Chang Pru, so called by the villagers because of its small size (about as big as a water buffalo). Dr. Boonsong Lekhakul, a Thai naturalist, recorded in an article that some 30 - 50 years beforehand, people claimed that Chang Khom could be seen in the Pru Forest along the Songkhla Beach. Some older residents of that area maintained that the Chang Khom were just young elephants, what's more. At present, no definitive conclusion has been reached as to whether dwarf elephants once existed in Thailand or not.