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Elephas (elephant)

Osteichthyes - Proboscidea - Elephantidae

Synonyms
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1758Elephas Linnaeus p. 33
1792Elephas Kerr
1795Elephantus Geoffroy and Cuvier p. 189
1811Elephas Illiger
1825Elephas Gray p. 342
1844Elephas Owen p. 208
1848Elephas Owen p. 139
1860Elephas Leidy p. 108
1860Elephas Nordmann p. 271
1873Elephas Leidy p. 329
1880Elephas Lydekker
1889Elephas Cope p. 194
1902Elephas Hay p. 712
1924Pilgrimia Osborn p. 2
1924Sivalikia Osborn p. 2
1927Leithadamsia Matsumoto p. 214
1931Hesperoloxodon Osborn p. 21
1942Hypselephas Osborn p. 1340
1942Platelephas Osborn p. 1358
1950Stegoloxodon Kretzoi p. 405
1955Omoloxodon Deraniyagala p. 25
1970Elephas Maglio p. 12
1973Elephas Maglio
1981Elephas Thurmond and Jones p. 181
1988Elephas Carroll
1995Elephas Capasso Barbato and Gliozzi p. 244
1995Elephas Kalb and Frohelich p. 732 figs. Figure 2
1996Elephas Shoshani and Tassy p. 352
1997Elephas McKenna and Bell p. 504
1999Elephas Barriel et al.
2005Elephas Shoshani and Tassy p. 10 figs. Table 2
2005Elephas Wilson and Reeder
2006Elephas Rogaev et al.
2007Elephas Christiansen p. 428
2010Elephas Rohland et al. p. 6

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
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
superorderAfrotheria
—Paenungulatomorpha
superorderPaenungulata
—Tethytheria
orderProboscidea()
suborderElephantiformesTassy 1988
superfamilyElephantoidea
familyElephantidae
subfamilyElephantinaeGray 1821
tribeElephantiniGray 1821
genusElephas

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.

G. Elephas Linnaeus 1758 [elephant]
show all | hide all
Subg. †Elephas (Euelephas) Leidy 1858
Subg. Elephas (Loxodon) Müller and Henle 1838
†Elephas beyeri von Koenigswald 1956
†Elephas clifti Falconer 1857
+
Invalid names: Stegodon sinensis Owen 1870 [synonym]
†Elephas ekorensis Maglio 1970
†Elephas falconeri Busk 1867
†Elephas hysudricus Falconer and Cautley 1875
†Elephas hysudrindicus Dubois 1908
†Elephas jolensis Pomel 1895
+
Invalid names: Archidiskodon broomi Osborn 1928 [synonym], Archidiskodon sheppardi Dart 1927 [synonym], Archidiskodon transvaalensis Dart 1927 [synonym]
Elephas maximus Linnaeus 1758 [Asian elephant]
+
Elephas maximus hirsutus Lydekker 1914 [Malaysian elephant]
Elephas maximus maximus Linnaeus 1758 [Sri Lankan elephant]
Elephas maximus sumatranus Temminck 1847 [Sumatran elephant]
Invalid names: Elephas asiaticus Blumenbach 1797 [synonym], Elephas gigas Perry 1811 [synonym]
†Elephas melitensis Falconer 1868
†Elephas moghrebiensis Arambourg 1970
†Elephas nawataensis Tassy 2003
†Elephas planifrons Falconer and Cautley 1846
†Elephas platycephalus Osborn 1929
†Elephas priscus Goldfuss 1821
Invalid names: Elephantus Geoffroy and Cuvier 1795 [objective synonym], Hesperoloxodon Osborn 1931 [synonym], Hypselephas Osborn 1942 [synonym], Leithadamsia Matsumoto 1927 [synonym], Omoloxodon Deraniyagala 1955 [synonym], Pilgrimia Osborn 1924 [synonym], Platelephas Osborn 1942 [synonym], Sivalikia Osborn 1924 [synonym], Stegoloxodon Kretzoi 1950 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Body mass estimates
estimateequationreference
 3.99 tons Mammalia femur circumferenceAnderson et al. 1985
Measurements
partNmean
femur circumference1304.8

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: Lillegraven 1979, Nowak 1991, Ji et al. 2002, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Messinian to the top of the Holocene or 7.24600 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 5.333 Ma

Collections (110 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Neogene23.04 - 2.58Myanmar Elephas clifti (215569)
Neogene23.04 - 2.58Taiwan (Taichung) Stegodon sinensis (76862)
Neogene23.04 - 2.58Taiwan (Tainan) Elephas sp. (76866)
Neogene23.04 - 2.58Taiwan Elephas sp. (76865) Stegodon sinensis (76863)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima) Elephas sp. (144187)
Baodean11.1 - 5.09China (Yunnan) Elephas sp. (183982)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6Kenya Elephas nawataensis (22242)
Early/Lower Pliocene5.333 - 3.6Kenya Elephas ekorensis (232486)
Early/Lower Pliocene5.333 - 3.6Tanzania Elephas ekorensis (22046)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Kenya (Turkana District) Elephas ekorensis (21335 21336)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Kenya Elephas ekorensis (22234) Elephas sp. (22338)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Ethiopia Elephas sp. (22133)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.58Ethiopia Archidiskodon indet. (21754 21755) Elephas ekorensis (21753)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.58Italy Elephas planifrons (96770)
Zanclean - Piacenzian5.333 - 2.58Kenya Elephas ekorensis (22235)
Pliocene - Pleistocene5.333 - 0.0117Ethiopia Elephas sp. (153775)
Pliocene - Pleistocene5.333 - 0.0117Nepal Elephas planifrons (36574)
Pliocene - Pleistocene5.333 - 0.0117Malawi Elephas ekorensis (22323)
Ruscinian5.09 - 3.55China (Shanxi) Elephas sp. (42477)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.58Ukraine (Donetsk) Elephas sp., Elephas planifrons (76533)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.58Russian Federation Elephas planifrons (76530)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.58Morocco Elephas sp. (32052)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.58India (Jammu) Elephas planifrons, Elephas hysudricus (51101 51102)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.58Pakistan (Jhelem, Punjab) Elephas planifrons (13448)
Late/Upper Pliocene3.6 - 2.58India (Panjab) Elephas planifrons (51104) Elephas planifrons, Elephas hysudricus, Elephas platycephalus (51106)
Piacenzian3.6 - 2.58Russian Federation (Chechnya) Elephas planifrons (76525)
Piacenzian3.6 - 2.58Ethiopia Elephas ekorensis (21758 21759 21783 21785)
Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene3.6 - 0.774Myanmar Hypselephas hysudricus (41265 201705)
Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene3.6 - 0.774India (Punjab) Elephas sp. (236047)
Late/Upper Pliocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene3.6 - 0.0117Uganda Mammuthus transvaalensis (22178)
Piacenzian - Pleistocene3.6 - 0.0117Kenya Elephas ekorensis (22238)
Gelasian2.58 - 1.8Azerbaijan Elephas planifrons (76529)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774Indonesia Elephas hysundrindicus (93522)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774Algeria Elephas sp. (69723)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774China Elephas sp. (51471)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774South Africa Elephas sp. (21824)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774India Elephas maximus (13453)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774Türkiye Mammuthus planifrons (39321)
Gelasian - Calabrian2.58 - 0.774Kenya Elephas recki atavus, Elephas recki ileretensis (21367)
Early/Lower Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Italy (Sicily) Elephas falconeri (94328)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117China (Shaanxi) Elephas sp. (37203)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117USA (New York) Elephas sp. (222862)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117India (Uttar Pradesh) Elephas sp. (237974)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Kenya Elephas sp. (21837 21838 21843 38040)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117India (Assam) Elephas maximus (238023)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Sri Lanka Elephas maximus, Elephas hysudricus (238030)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Morocco Elephas iolensis (34332)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117South Africa Elephas sp. (21828)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Philippines Elephas beyeri (94613)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Malta Elephas melitensis, Elephas falconeri (190860)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117India (Madras) Hypselephas hysudricus (13487)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117India Elephas namadicus/maximus, Elephas sp., Elephas hysudricus (237977) Elephas sp. (238019) Elephas sp., Elephas hysudricus (237975 238017 238018)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117India (Meghalaya) Elephas hysudricus (238024)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117USA (Texas) Elephas sp. (207372 207402 207406 207418 207425 207447 207454 207455 207456 207483) Proboscidea indet. (207446)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Israel Elephas sp. (34043 39252)
Pleistocene2.58 - 0.0117Italy (Sicily) Elephas falconeri (92437)
Pleistocene - Holocene2.58 - 0.0South Africa Archidiskodon broomi (21711)
Pleistocene - Holocene2.58 - 0.0Morocco Elephas sp. (21856)
Calabrian1.8 - 0.774Kenya Elephas sp. (21833)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Thailand (Nakhon Ratchasima) Elephas sp. (143885)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129China (Guizhou) Elephas sp. (51100)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Laos (Hua Pan) Elephas sp. (235746)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Indonesia (Sulawesi) Elephas sp. (93636)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Spain (Soria) Elephas sp. (73757 73761)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Germany (Baden-Wuerttemberg) Elephas sp. (50259)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Thailand (Chaiyaphum) Elephas maximus (237787)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Italy (Trieste) Elephas sp. (40808)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Italy (Verona) Elephas sp. (43650 43664)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Italy (Vicenza) Elephas sp. (43666)
Middle Pleistocene0.774 - 0.129Taiwan (Tainan) Stegodon sinensis, Elephas hysudricus (76844)
Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene0.774 - 0.0117Italy (Verona) Elephas sp. (43657)
Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene0.774 - 0.0117China (Guangdong) Elephas kiangnanensis (13293)
Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene0.774 - 0.0117Kenya Elephas sp. (22272)
Middle Pleistocene - Late/Upper Pleistocene0.774 - 0.0117China (Guangxi) Elephas maximus (235737)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117India Elephas sp., Elephas indicus (224310)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Indonesia Elephas hysudrindicus (93523) Elephas maximus (93524)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Mexico (Mexico) Elephas sp. (227228)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Malaysia (Negeri Sembilan) Elephas maximus (238277)