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Mastodons are large, extinct mammals that once roamed the earth as part of the Proboscidean family, which also includes modern-day elephants and their relatives. As members of the Living Proboscideans category, mastodons share certain characteristics with their living counterparts, such as a trunk and tusks. However, mastodons are distinct in several ways, including their stocky build, robust limbs, and distinctive dental pattern, which features large, blunt molars adapted for grinding vegetation. Mastodons were widespread across North America, Europe, and Asia during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, and their fossils have been found in a variety of habitats, from dense forests to open grasslands. These animals likely lived in small family groups and fed on a diverse diet of plants, using their powerful limbs and massive tusks to navigate their environment and defend themselves against predators. Today, mastodons are an important part of our understanding of the earth's history and the evolution of proboscideans. Their fossils provide valuable insights into past climates, ecosystems, and the behavior of these magnificent creatures, making them a fascinating subject of study for scientists and enthusiasts alike.