Proboscidea

The Proboscidea (/ˌprɒbəˈsɪdiə/; from Latin proboscis, from

Ancient Greek προβοσκίς (proboskís)  'elephant's trunk') are a Proboscidea
taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living Temporal range: Middle Paleocene-
family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First Holocene
described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and
their close relatives.[1] From the mid-Miocene onwards, most
proboscideans were very large. The largest land mammal of all
time may have been a proboscidean; Palaeoloxodon namadicus
was up to 5.2 m (17.1 ft) at the shoulder and may have weighed
up to 22 t (24.3 short tons), almost double the weight of some
sauropods like Diplodocus carnegii.[2] The largest extant
proboscidean is the African bush elephant, with a record of size
of 4 m (13.1 ft) at the shoulder and 10.4 t (11.5 short tons).[2] In
addition to their enormous size, later proboscideans are African bush elephant, Loxodonta
distinguished by tusks and long, muscular trunks, which were africana
less developed or absent in early proboscideans.

Three species of elephant are currently recognised: the African

bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian
elephant. Elephantidae is the only surviving family of the order
Proboscidea; extinct members include the mastodons,
gomphotheres and stegodonts. The family Elephantidae also
contains several extinct groups, including the mammoths and
Skeleton of Moeritherium
straight-tusked elephants. The distinctive features of
proboscideans include a trunk, tusks, and massive legs. Large Scientific classification
ear flaps are present in some proboscideans, including
Kingdom: Animalia
elephants. Some also have tough but sensitive skin; others, like
the woolly mammoth, have a coat. The trunk is used for Phylum: Chordata
breathing, bringing food and water to the mouth, and grasping
Class: Mammalia
objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve
both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. Clade: Tethytheria
The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body
temperature as well as in communication. The pillar-like legs Order: Proboscidea
carry their great weight. Illiger, 1811

Subclades
Evolution
†Eritherium
The earliest known proboscidean is Eritherium ,[3]
followed by †Moeritherium
[4]
Phosphatherium, a small animal about the size of a fox. Both
date from late Paleocene deposits of Morocco. †Saloumia
 Proboscideans evolved in †Plesielephantiformes
Africa,[5] where they (possibly paraphyletic)
increased in size and
diversity during the Eocene †Deinotheriidae
and early Oligocene.
Woolly mammoth and American Elephantiformes
Proboscideans have evolved
mastodon
greatly over time through
three major forms of radiation: radiation of primitive Lophodont
forms, radiation of gomphotheres and stegodons, and radiation of elephantidae. These forms of
radiation have illustrated that proboscideans' characteristics such as trunk, large ears, and tusks have
evolved and were appearing late in the modern form. Several primitive families from these epochs
have been described, including the Numidotheriidae, Moeritheriidae, and Barytheriidae, all found
exclusively in Africa. The Anthracobunidae from the Indian subcontinent were also believed to be a
family of proboscideans, but were excluded from the Proboscidea by Shoshani and Tassy (2005)[6]
and have more recently been assigned to the Perissodactyla.[7] When Africa became connected to
Europe and Asia after the shrinking of the Tethys Sea, proboscideans migrated into Eurasia, with
some families eventually reaching the Americas. Proboscideans found in Eurasia as well as Africa
include the Deinotheriidae, which thrived during the Miocene and into the early Quaternary,
Stegolophodon, an early genus of the disputed family Stegodontidae; the highly diverse
Gomphotheriidae and Amebelodontidae; and the Mammutidae, or mastodons.

Most proboscideans are now extinct,[8] including all species endemic to the Americas, Europe, and
northern Asia. Many of these extinctions occurred during or shortly after the last glacial period.
Recently extinct species include the gomphotheres in the Americas, the American mastodon of family
Mammutidae in North America, numerous stegodonts in Asia, the mammoths throughout the
Northern Hemisphere, and several species of dwarf elephants found on various islands scattered
around the world.[9]

Classification
Below is an unranked taxonomy of proboscidean genera as of 2019.[6][10][11][12]

Proboscidea Illiger, 1811

†Eritherium Gheerbrant, 2009
†Moeritherium Andrews, 1901
†Saloumia Tabuce et al., 2019
†Plesielephantiformes Shoshani et al., 2001
†Numidotheriidae Shoshani & Tassy, 1992
†Phosphatherium Gheerbrant et al., 1996
†Arcanotherium Delmer, 2009
†Daouitherium Gheerbrant & Sudre, 2002
†Numidotherium Mahboubi et al., 1986
†Barytheriidae Andrews, 1906
†Omanitherium Seiffert et al., 2012
†Barytherium Andrews, 1901
†Deinotheriidae Bonaparte, 1845
 †Chilgatherium Sanders et al., 2004
†Prodeinotherium Ehik, 1930
†Deinotherium Kaup, 1829
Elephantiformes Tassy, 1988
†Eritreum Shoshani et al., 2006
†Hemimastodon Pilgrim, 1912
†Palaeomastodon Andrews, 1901
†Phiomia Andrews & Beadnell, 1902
Elephantimorpha Tassy & Shoshani, 1997
†Mammutidae Hay, 1922
†Losodokodon Rasmussen & Gutierrez, 2009
†Eozygodon Tassy & Pickford, 1983
†Zygolophodon Vacek, 1877
†Sinomammut Mothé et al., 2016
†Mammut Blumenbach, 1799
Elephantida Tassy & Shoshani, 1997
†Choerolophodontidae Gaziry, 1976
†Afrochoerodon Pickford, 2001
†Choerolophodon Schlesinger, 1917
†Amebelodontidae Barbour, 1927
†Afromastodon Pickford, 2003
†Progomphotherium Pickford, 2003
†Eurybelodon Lambert, 2016
†Serbelodon Frick, 1933
†Archaeobelodon Tassy, 1984
†Protanancus Arambourg, 1945
†Amebelodon Barbour, 1927
†Konobelodon Lambert, 1990
†Torynobelodon Barbour, 1929
†Aphanobelodon Wang et al., 2016
†Platybelodon Borissiak, 1928
†Gomphotheriidae Hay, 1922
†Gomphotherium Burmeister, 1837
†Blancotherium May, 2019
†Gnathabelodon Barbour & Sternberg, 1935
†Eubelodon Barbour, 1914
†Stegomastodon Pohlig, 1912
†Sinomastodon Tobien et al., 1986
†Notiomastodon Cabrera, 1929
†Rhynchotherium Falconer, 1868
†Cuvieronius Osborn, 1923
 Elephantoidea Gray, 1821
†Anancidae Hay, 1922
†Anancus Aymard, 1855
†Morrillia Osborn, 1924
†Paratetralophodon Tassy, 1983
†Pediolophodon Lambert, 2007
†Tetralophodon Falconer, 1857
†Stegodontidae Osborn, 1918
†Stegolophodon Schlesinger, 1917
†Stegodon Falconer, 1857
Elephantidae Gray, 1821
†Stegotetrabelodontinae Aguirre, 1969
†Stegodibelodon Coppens, 1972
†Stegotetrabelodon Petrocchi, 1941
†Selenotherium Mackaye, Brunet & Tassy, 2005
Elephantinae Gray, 1821
†Primelephas Maglio, 1970
Loxodonta Anonymous, 1827
†Palaeoloxodon Matsumoto, 1924
†Mammuthus Brookes, 1828
Elephas Linnaeus, 1758

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