The family was first described by John Edward Gray in 1821,[4] and later assigned to taxonomic ranks within the order Proboscidea. Elephantidae has been revised by various authors to include or exclude other extinct proboscidean genera.
Scientific classification of Elephantidae taxa embraces an extensive record of fossil specimens, over millions of years, some of which existed until the end of the last ice age. Some species were extirpated more recently. The discovery of new specimens and proposed cladistics have resulted in systematic revisions of the family and related proboscideans.
Elephantids are classified informally as the elephant family, or in a paleobiological context as elephants and mammoths. The common nameelephant primarily refers to the living taxa, the modern elephants, but may also refer to a variety of extinct species, both within this family and in others. Other members of the Elephantidae, especially members of the genus Mammuthus, are commonly called mammoths.
The family diverged from a common ancestor of the mastodons of Mammutidae. The classification of proboscideans is unstable and has been frequently revised.
The following cladogram shows the placement of the genus Mammuthus among other proboscideans, based on a 2007 study of hyoid characteristics:[2]
The systematics of the living subspecies and species of the modern elephants has undergone several revisions. A list of the extant Elephantidae includes:[6]
Evolution of elephants from the ancient Eocene (bottom) to the modern day (top)
Although the fossil evidence is uncertain, by comparing genes, scientists have discovered evidence that elephantids and other proboscideans share a distant ancestry with Sirenia (sea cows) and Hyracoidea (hyraxes).[7] These have been assigned, along with the extinct demostylians and embrithopods, to the clade Paenungulata. In the distant past, members of the various hyrax families grew to large sizes, and the common ancestor of all three modern families is thought to have been some kind of amphibious hyracoid.[citation needed] One hypothesis is that these animals spent most of their time under water, using their trunks like snorkels for breathing.[8][9] Modern elephants have this ability and are known to swim in that manner for up to six hours and 50 km (31 mi).
In the past, a much wider variety of genera and species was found, including the mammoths and stegodons.[10][11]
^Kalb, J. E., & Froehlich, D. J. (1995). Interrelationships of Late Neogene Elephantoids: New evidence from the Middle Awash Valley, Afar, Ethiopia. Geobios, 28(6), 727–736. doi:10.1016/s0016-6995(95)80068-9
^ abShoshani, J.; Ferretti, M.P.; Lister, A.M.; Agenbroad, L.D.; Saegusa, H.; Mol, D.; Takahashi, K. (2007). "Relationships within the Elephantinae using hyoid characters". Quaternary International. 169–170: 174–185. Bibcode:2007QuInt.169..174S. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2007.02.003.
^Maglio, Vincent J. (1973). "Origin and Evolution of the Elephantidae". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 63 (3): 16. doi:10.2307/1006229. JSTOR 1006229.
^Gray, John Edward (1821). "On the natural arrangement of vertebrose animals". London Medical Repository. 15: 297–310.
^Yates, Diana. "Genetic study shakes up the elephant family tree". news.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
^Shoshani, J. (2005). "Order Proboscidea". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^Ozawa, Tomowo; Hayashi, Seiji; Mikhelson, Victor M. (1997-04-24), "Phylogenetic Position of Mammoth and Steller's Sea Cow Within Tethytheria Demonstrated by Mitochondrial DNA Sequences", Journal of Molecular Evolution, 44 (4): 406–413, Bibcode:1997JMolE..44..406O, doi:10.1007/PL00006160, PMID 9089080, S2CID 417046
^West, John B. (2001), "Snorkel breathing in the elephant explains the unique anatomy of its pleura", Respiratory Physiology, 126 (1): 1–8, doi:10.1016/S0034-5687(01)00203-1, PMID 11311306
^West, John B.; Fu, Zhenxing; Gaeth, Ann P.; Short, Roger V. (2003-11-14), "Fetal lung development in the elephant reflects the adaptations required for snorkeling in adult life", Respiratory Physiology & Neurobiology, 138 (2–3): 325–333, doi:10.1016/S1569-9048(03)00199-X, PMID 14609520, S2CID 24902376
^Todd, N. E. (2001). African Elephas recki: time, space and taxonomy 2008-12-16 at the Wayback Machine (pdf). In: Cavarretta, G., P. Gioia, M. Mussi, and M. R. Palombo. The World of Elephants, Proceedings of the 1st International Congress. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Rome, Italy.
^Todd, N. E. (2005). Reanalysis of African Elephas recki: implications for time, space and taxonomy. Quaternary International 126-128:65-72.
External links
Media related to Elephantidae at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Elephantidae at Wikispecies
January 28, 2023
elephantidae, family, large, herbivorous, proboscidean, mammals, collectively, called, elephants, mammoths, these, terrestrial, large, mammals, with, snout, modified, into, trunk, teeth, modified, into, tusks, most, genera, species, family, extinct, only, gene. Elephantidae is a family of large herbivorous proboscidean mammals collectively called elephants and mammoths These are terrestrial large mammals with a snout modified into a trunk and teeth modified into tusks Most genera and species in the family are extinct Only two genera Loxodonta African elephants and Elephas Asiatic elephants are living ElephantidaeTemporal range Pliocene Holocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NA male Asian elephant Elephas maximus in the wild at Bandipur National Park in IndiaScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder ProboscideaSuperfamily ElephantoideaFamily ElephantidaeGray 1821Type genusElephasLinnaeus 1758Genera 2 Elephas Linnaeus 1758Loxodonta Anonymous 1827Mammuthus Brookes 1828 Palaeoloxodon Matsumoto 1925 Primelephas Maglio 1970 Stegotetrabelodon Petrocchi 1941 1 Synonyms 3 Elephasidae Lesson 1842The family was first described by John Edward Gray in 1821 4 and later assigned to taxonomic ranks within the order Proboscidea Elephantidae has been revised by various authors to include or exclude other extinct proboscidean genera Contents 1 Classification 2 Evolutionary history 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksClassification EditSee also List of elephant species and Elephants Man and the elephant plate from Hawkins A comparative view of the human and animal frame 1860 Skeleton of Mammuthus meridionalis at the French Museum of Natural History Scientific classification of Elephantidae taxa embraces an extensive record of fossil specimens over millions of years some of which existed until the end of the last ice age Some species were extirpated more recently The discovery of new specimens and proposed cladistics have resulted in systematic revisions of the family and related proboscideans Elephantids are classified informally as the elephant family or in a paleobiological context as elephants and mammoths The common name elephant primarily refers to the living taxa the modern elephants but may also refer to a variety of extinct species both within this family and in others Other members of the Elephantidae especially members of the genus Mammuthus are commonly called mammoths The family diverged from a common ancestor of the mastodons of Mammutidae The classification of proboscideans is unstable and has been frequently revised The following cladogram shows the placement of the genus Mammuthus among other proboscideans based on a 2007 study of hyoid characteristics 2 Elephantidae Elephantinae Loxodontini Loxodonta 2 species African elephants Elephantini Palaeoloxodontina Palaeoloxodon Elephantina Elephas 3 6 subspecies Asian elephants Mammuthus Mammoths The most accurate phylogenetic tree of the elephants and mammoths as of 2010 However a 2017 study of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA placed Palaeoloxodon as more closely related to Loxodonta in particular the African forest elephant than to Elephantina 5 The systematics of the living subspecies and species of the modern elephants has undergone several revisions A list of the extant Elephantidae includes 6 Elephantidae Loxodonta African L africana African bush elephant L cyclotis African forest elephant Elephas Asiatic E maximus Asian elephant E m maximus Sri Lankan elephant E m indicus Indian elephant E m sumatranus Sumatran elephant E m borneensis Borneo elephantEvolutionary history Edit Evolution of elephants from the ancient Eocene bottom to the modern day top Although the fossil evidence is uncertain by comparing genes scientists have discovered evidence that elephantids and other proboscideans share a distant ancestry with Sirenia sea cows and Hyracoidea hyraxes 7 These have been assigned along with the extinct demostylians and embrithopods to the clade Paenungulata In the distant past members of the various hyrax families grew to large sizes and the common ancestor of all three modern families is thought to have been some kind of amphibious hyracoid citation needed One hypothesis is that these animals spent most of their time under water using their trunks like snorkels for breathing 8 9 Modern elephants have this ability and are known to swim in that manner for up to six hours and 50 km 31 mi In the past a much wider variety of genera and species was found including the mammoths and stegodons 10 11 See also EditDeinotherium Embrithopoda Eritherium azzouzorum Zygolophodon Palaeoloxodon namadicusReferences Edit Kalb J E amp Froehlich D J 1995 Interrelationships of Late Neogene Elephantoids New evidence from the Middle Awash Valley Afar Ethiopia Geobios 28 6 727 736 doi 10 1016 s0016 6995 95 80068 9 a b Shoshani J Ferretti M P Lister A M Agenbroad L D Saegusa H Mol D Takahashi K 2007 Relationships within the Elephantinae using hyoid characters Quaternary International 169 170 174 185 Bibcode 2007QuInt 169 174S doi 10 1016 j quaint 2007 02 003 Maglio Vincent J 1973 Origin and Evolution of the Elephantidae Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 63 3 16 doi 10 2307 1006229 JSTOR 1006229 Gray John Edward 1821 On the natural arrangement of vertebrose animals London Medical Repository 15 297 310 Yates Diana Genetic study shakes up the elephant family tree news illinois edu Retrieved 2021 09 17 Shoshani J 2005 Order Proboscidea In Wilson D E Reeder D M eds Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed Johns Hopkins University Press ISBN 978 0 8018 8221 0 OCLC 62265494 Ozawa Tomowo Hayashi Seiji Mikhelson Victor M 1997 04 24 Phylogenetic Position of Mammoth and Steller s Sea Cow Within Tethytheria Demonstrated by Mitochondrial DNA Sequences Journal of Molecular Evolution 44 4 406 413 Bibcode 1997JMolE 44 406O doi 10 1007 PL00006160 PMID 9089080 S2CID 417046 West John B 2001 Snorkel breathing in the elephant explains the unique anatomy of its pleura Respiratory Physiology 126 1 1 8 doi 10 1016 S0034 5687 01 00203 1 PMID 11311306 West John B Fu Zhenxing Gaeth Ann P Short Roger V 2003 11 14 Fetal lung development in the elephant reflects the adaptations required for snorkeling in adult life Respiratory Physiology amp Neurobiology 138 2 3 325 333 doi 10 1016 S1569 9048 03 00199 X PMID 14609520 S2CID 24902376 Todd N E 2001 African Elephas recki time space and taxonomy Archived 2008 12 16 at the Wayback Machine pdf In Cavarretta G P Gioia M Mussi and M R Palombo The World of Elephants Proceedings of the 1st International Congress Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche Rome Italy Todd N E 2005 Reanalysis of African Elephas recki implications for time space and taxonomy Quaternary International 126 128 65 72 External links Edit Media related to Elephantidae at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Elephantidae at Wikispecies Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elephantidae amp oldid 1124222344, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
