Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Loxodonta africana (African bush elephant)

Mammalia - Proboscidea - Elephantidae

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1797Elephas africanus Blumenbach
1798Elephas capensis Cuvier p. 142
1936Loxodonta africana Allen p. 40
1973Loxodonta africana Maglio
2005Loxodonta africana Shoshani and Tassy p. 7
2006Loxodonta africana Rogaev et al.
2010Loxodonta africana Rohland et al. p. 1

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
RankNameAuthor
—Mammaliamorpha
—Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—AfrotheriaStanhope et al. 1998
—Tethytheria
orderProboscidea()
suborderElephantiformesTassy 1988
superfamilyElephantoidea
familyElephantidae
subfamilyElephantinaeGray 1821
tribeLoxodontiniOsborn 1918
genusLoxodontaCuvier 1825
speciesafricana()

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Loxodonta africana Blumenbach 1797 [African bush elephant]
show all | hide all
Invalid names: Elephas capensis Cuvier 1798 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Body mass estimates
estimateequationreference
 2.45 tons Mammalia femur diameterGingerich 1990
 1.61 tons Mammalia humerus diameterGingerich 1990
 1.93 tons Mammalia tibia diameterGingerich 1990
mean: 1.97 tons
Measurements
partNmean
femur diameter186.7
humerus diameter184.0
radius diameter162.0
tibia diameter179.1

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingf
Diet: grazerf
Diet 2: browserf
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2005-06-08 10:11:09
Modified: 2005-08-22 20:09:03
Source: f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Ji et al. 2002, Nowak 1991, Hendy et al. 2009, Lillegraven 1979

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Late/Upper Pleistocene to the top of the Holocene or 0.12900 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 0.0117 Ma

Collections (27 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Pleistocene2.588 - 0.0117South Africa Loxodonta africana (21695 21916 21929 21953 21954)
Pleistocene - Holocene2.588 - 0.0Libya Loxodonta africana (21884)
Pleistocene - Holocene2.588 - 0.0Tanzania Loxodonta africana (22191)
Pleistocene - Holocene2.588 - 0.0Congo-Kinshasa Loxodonta africana (22074 22103)
Pleistocene - Holocene2.588 - 0.0South Africa Loxodonta africana (21948 21949 21950 21951 21952)
Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene0.774 - 0.0117Tanzania Loxodonta africana (21893)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117South Africa Loxodonta africana (115167)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117South Africa Loxodonta africana (21709)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Tanzania Loxodonta africana (21690)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0South Africa Loxodonta africana (21930)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Cote D'Ivoire Loxodonta africana (21692)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Sudan Loxodonta africana (21871 21904 208786 208787)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Kenya Loxodonta africana (21934 21936)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Egypt Loxodonta africana (21878)