According to Verneil Simmons, Moroni lists the animals that the Jaredites used for food, such as the cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and "many others." Sumerian temple records, unknown in Joseph Smith's lifetime, list the domestic stock of that nation. They are the same animals -- cattle, sheep, swine, goats, and the ass!" (See Leonard Wooley, The Beginnings of Civilization, p. 232)
Moroni then lists the animals that were "useful unto man," including horses, asses, and the elephants, cureloms, and cumoms. But it is very interesting that there is a difference in the way they are listed. They "had horses and asses," implying possession of domesticated animals, but "there were elephants, cureloms, and cumoms" (Ether 9:19). This hints that these last mentioned animals existed in the land and were useful to them, but were not domesticated. It also hints at extinction. Since no Nephite word for "cureloms" and "cumoms" is given, perhaps they had become extinct and were unknown to the later nation. As for elephants, they had been part of the cultural history of the Fertile Crescent and were certainly included in the historical knowledge of the Nephites. . . Interestingly enough, geologists have recognized a period of excessively high temperatures which created the deserts of the Southwest. This is known as the Hypisthermal and peaked somewhere between 2000 and 1500 B.C. It is thought that the drouths which were caused by this hot period resulted in the extinction of the large grazing animals such as the mammoth, mastodon, camel, and giant bison. (See Michael Coe, Mexico, pp. 26-27) [Verneil W. Simmons, Peoples, Places and Prophecies, pp. 40-41]
“There Were Elephants, Cureloms and Cumoms All of Which Were Useful Unto Man”
Glen W. Chapman notes that the Book of Mormon has received severe criticism because of statements regarding the horse. The Smithsonian in its "statement Regarding the Book of Mormon" prepared by the Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC SIL-76, Summer 1982 reports: "American Indians had no . . . horses, donkeys, camels before 1492 (Camels and horses were in the Americas along with the bison, mammoth, and mastodon, but all these animals became extinct around 10,000 B.C). Since that statement a number of findings have been made which are strange to say the least and require careful investigation. Some of these findings are shown below.
In the following reference from a book by T. L. Tanton, Geological Survey of Canada Memoir 167-Fort Williams and Forth Arthur and Thunder Cape Map-Areas, pp. I-222, Ottawa, 1931:
Relics were discovered July, 1918 in an excavation made by the Canada Car and Foundry Company about 80 feet north from the turning basin Westforl. About twelve bones of a mammal and a finely made copper spearhead were found together about 40 feet below the surface of the ground. The materials found were submitted to the Geological Survey and Harlan I. Smith, archaeologist, reported the results of examination as follows:
According to Mr. Lawrence I. Lambe, vertebrate paleontologist of the Geological Survey and Mr. Sternberg, preparator of paleontological specimens, the bone marked B11 . . . is of a cloven-footed animal, possibly a buffalo, or a specimen of domestic cattle . . . Bones marked B10 and B12 to B13 inclusive, Mr. Lambe and Mr. Sternberg both pronounced to be those of a horse and not petrified. Mr. Sternberg is convinced that most of them belong to the same individual. The point with the flanged tang made of copper marked C1 is characteristic and typical of prehistoric Indian handiwork."
Griffin and Quimby, who investigated the site in 1957, noted that if the bones and copper artifacts were found in situ, they predate the Nipissing stage of the Lake Superior basin (pre-2000 B.C.) since they were on a bed of blue clay under layers of sand deposited by flooding during that period. (Quimby, The Old Copper Assemblage and Extinct Animals, American Antiquity, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 169-70, Salt Lake City, University of Utah.) [Glen W. Chapman, "Horses and the Book of Mormon," [http://www.2s2.com/] chapmanresearch/user/documents/horses.html] [See Enos 1:21; Alma 18:9; 3 Nephi 3:22]
Ether 9:19 And they also had horses and asses ([Illustration]): A Moundbuilder pictograph of the likeness of an unbridled horse in Picture Canyon, Cimarron County, Oklahoma, which shows that Indians in early times were acquainted with horses. This picture appeared in October 1955 Improvement Era. [Glen W. Chapman, "Horses and the Book of Mormon," [http://www.2s2.com/chapmanresearch/user/documents/horses.html]]