The flow chart below shows the evolution of the modern day elephant

Here are the answers based on the provided flowchart:

6.1 The earliest ancestor of the elephants shown is Palaeomastodon.

$$\boxed{\text{Palaeomastodon}}$$

6.2 The ancestor of the elephant, Palaeomastodon, first appeared on Earth approximately 38 million years ago.

$$\boxed{\text{38 million years ago}}$$

6.3 The ancestor (Palaeomastodon) differs from modern-day elephants in several ways:

• It was smaller in size.
• It had shorter, straighter tusks on both its upper and lower jaws, unlike modern elephants which primarily have long, curved upper tusks.
• Its trunk was shorter.

6.4 The scientific name of the African elephant is Loxodonta.

$$\boxed{\text{Loxodonta}}$$

6.5 According to the flow chart, the mammoth (Mammuthus) evolved first, as its distinct lineage appears earlier within the Pliocene epoch compared to the African elephant (Loxodonta).

$$\boxed{\text{The mammoth}}$$

6.6 The mammoth became extinct around 10,000 years ago, at the end of the Pleistocene epoch.

$$\boxed{\text{Around 10,000 years ago}}$$

6.7 Yes, the African elephant is under threat of becoming extinct.
Reason: African elephants face significant threats from poaching for their ivory and habitat loss due to human activities.