Elephantidae
Sign in to saveElephantidae is a family of large, herbivorous proboscidean mammals which includes the living elephants (belonging to the genera Elephas and Loxodonta), as well as a number of extinct genera like Mammuthus (mammoths) and Palaeoloxodon. They are large terrestrial mammals with a snout modified into a trunk and teeth modified into tusks. Most genera and species in the family are extinct. Some extinct members are among the largest known terrestrial mammals ever.
AI overview
Elephantidae is a family of large plant-eating mammals that includes living elephants as well as extinct relatives like mammoths, all characterized by a flexible trunk and tusk-like teeth. Most members of this family are now extinct, and some of the extinct species were among the biggest land animals that ever lived.
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Taxonomy · GBIF
FAMILY
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderProboscidea
- FamilyElephantidae
via GBIF · CC0
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Elephantoidea
- Image
- Elefante africano de sabana (Loxodonta africana), parque nacional Kruger, Sudáfrica, 2018-07-25, DD 06.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- P427
- Elephas
Article
9 sectionsContents
- Description
- Ecology
- Classification
- Living species
- Classification
- Evolutionary history
- See also
- References
- External links
Elephantidae is a family of large, herbivorous proboscidean mammals which includes the living elephants (belonging to the genera Elephas and Loxodonta), as well as a number of extinct genera like Mammuthus (mammoths) and Palaeoloxodon. They are large terrestrial mammals with a snout modified into a trunk and teeth modified into tusks. Most genera and species in the family are extinct. Some extinct members are among the largest known terrestrial mammals ever.
The family was first described by John Edward Gray in 1821, 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.