Some Extinct Elephants, Their Relatives and the Two Living Species (1955 First Edition) by renowned Sri Lankan zoologist and paleontologist Paulus Edward Pieris Deraniyagala is an important scientific work exploring the evolution and classification of elephants and their prehistoric relatives. Published by the National Museums of Sri Lanka, this book expands upon the author's Presidential Address to the Ceylon Association for the Advancement of Science and incorporates his research conducted in Africa and studies of specimens in major European museums.
 
The volume examines both living elephant species alongside several extinct proboscideans, highlighting their importance in understanding geological timelines, climatic changes, and aspects of human evolution. Drawing from international fossil collections and field observations, Deraniyagala presents valuable comparative zoological and paleontological insights that remain significant to researchers and collectors of natural history literature.
 
A highly collectible mid-20th century scientific publication, this first edition is particularly desirable for collectors of Sri Lankan natural history, zoology, paleontology, and museum publications.