Platybelodon, a remarkable Miocene proboscidean, was easily recognizable by its flattened and enlarged lower tusks, which joined together in a spade shape. These structures, similar to a large bony blade, were likely used to cut, scrape, and tear aquatic vegetation from riverbanks and swamps.
It resembled a modern elephant, but with a more elongated skull and a short trunk. Platybelodon inhabited the marshy environments and riverine areas of Eurasia, North America, and Africa. Its unique morphology makes it one of the most peculiar extinct mammals ever discovered, with an appearance at once familiar and alien.