Palaeoloxodon falconeri is an extinct species of dwarf elephant from the Middle Pleistocene (around 500–200,000 years ago) of Sicily and Malta.
It is amongst the smallest of all dwarf elephants at only 1 meter (3.3 ft) in height and was derived from the 4 meter tall mainland European Straight-tusked elephant (P. antiquus).
P. falconeri's ancestors most likely reached Sicily from the Italian mainland, likely via a series of islands that now form part of the southern Calabrian peninsula.
It happened during a period of Pleistocene maximum when the sea levels were around 100 m (328 ft) lower, which significantly reduced distances and opened land bridges in between islands and from and to the mainland.
They likely then dispersed to Malta from Sicily during episodes of low sea level.
This island-bound elephant was an example of insular dwarfism, the phenomenon whereby large terrestrial vertebrates (usually mammals) that colonize islands evolve into dwarf forms.
This phenomenon is attributed to adaptation to resource-poor environments and selection for early maturation and reproduction.
Adult Palaeoloxodon falconeri individuals were around the size of modern elephant calves.
A 2019 volumetric study shows an adult male specimen MPUR/V n1 measured 96.5 cm (3 ft 2.0 in) in shoulder height and weighed about 250 kg (551 lb).
Same study shows adult female specimen MPUR/V n2 measured 80 cm (2 ft 7.5 in) in shoulder height and weighed about 168 kg (370 lb).
A composite newborn male specimen MPUR/V n3 measured 33 cm (1 ft 1.0 in) in shoulder height and about 7.8 kg (17 lb) in weight.
The brain was around the size of a human's, and proportionally much larger relative to skull and body size than P. antiquus. Female members of the species were tuskless.
Due to the much smaller body size resulting in increased heat loss, it is possible that the species was covered by a more dense coat of hair than present in living elephants in order to maintain a stable body temperature.
Histology analysis of their bones, teeth and tusks demonstrates that despite their small size, individuals of P. falconeri grew very slowly, reaching sexual maturity at around 15 years of age (older than living elephants).
At least one individual reached a lifespan of at minimum 68 years, comparable to full-sized elephants. Dental microwear suggests that P. falconeri was a mixed feeder (both browsing and grazing).
The belief in Cyclopes may have originated in P. falconeri skulls found in Sicily. As early as the 14th century, scholars had noted that the nasal cavity could be mistaken for a singular giant eye socket.
This dwarf elephant species went extinct around 200,000 years ago.
The period in which P. falconeri lived was one of dramatic environmental and climatic change, with Sicily undergoing changes in tectonic activity and sea level.
This could have put even more pressure on the elephant's limited resources, and may have led to its extinction.

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