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The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic
order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
of afrotherian mammals containing one living
family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
( Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the
elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
s and their close relatives. From the mid-
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
onwards, most proboscideans were very large. The largest land mammal of all time may have been a proboscidean; '' Palaeoloxodon namadicus'' was up to at the shoulder and may have weighed up to , almost double the weight of some sauropods like '' Diplodocus carnegii''. The largest extant proboscidean is the African bush elephant, with a record of size of at the shoulder and . In addition to their enormous size, later proboscideans are distinguished by tusks and long, muscular trunks, which were less developed or absent in early proboscideans. Three
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of
elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae ...
are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the
Asian elephant The Asian elephant (''Elephas maximus''), also known as the Asiatic elephant, is the only living species of the genus '' Elephas'' and is distributed throughout the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India in the west, Nepal in ...
. 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 straight-tusked elephants. The distinctive features of proboscideans include a trunk, tusks, and massive legs. Large ear flaps are present in some proboscideans, including elephants. Some also have tough but sensitive skin; others, like the woolly mammoth, have a coat. The trunk is used for breathing, bringing food and water to the mouth, and grasping objects. Tusks, which are derived from the incisor teeth, serve both as weapons and as tools for moving objects and digging. The large ear flaps assist in maintaining a constant body temperature as well as in communication. The pillar-like legs carry their great weight.


Evolution

The earliest known proboscidean is '' Eritherium'', followed by '' Phosphatherium'', a small animal about the size of a fox. Both date from late
Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name is a combination of the Ancient Greek ''pal ...
deposits of
Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
. Proboscideans evolved in Africa, where they increased in size and diversity during the
Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
and early
Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...
. Proboscideans have evolved 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) and have more recently been assigned to the Perissodactyla. 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 The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
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, including all species
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...
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.


Classification

Below is an unranked taxonomy of proboscidean genera as of 2019. *Proboscidea Illiger, 1811 **†'' Eritherium'' Gheerbrant, 2009 **†'' Moeritherium'' Andrews, 1901 **†'' Saloumia'' Tabuce ''et al.'', 2019 **†
Plesielephantiformes Plesielephantiformes is an extinct clade of large herbivorous mammals and one of two suborders of the Proboscidea The Proboscidea (; , ) are a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several e ...
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 ''Deinotherium'' was a large elephant-like proboscidean that appeared in the Middle Miocene and survived until the Early Pleistocene. Although superficially resembling modern elephants, they had notably more flexible necks, limbs adapted to a mo ...
'' Kaup, 1829 **
Elephantiformes Elephantiformes is a suborder within the order Proboscidea that contains the elephants Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, ...
Tassy, 1988 ***†''
Eritreum ''Eritreum melakeghebrekristosi'' is an extinct species of proboscidean mammal, which lived in Northeast Africa during the late Oligocene some 27 million years ago, and is considered to be the missing link between modern elephants and their ances ...
'' 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 Elephantida is a group that contains the elephants as well as their extinct relatives, the gomphotheres and the stegodontids Stegodontidae is an extinct family of proboscideans from Africa and Asia (with a single occurrence in Europe) from ...
Tassy & Shoshani, 1997 *****†
Choerolophodontidae Choerolophodontidae is an extinct family of large herbivorous mammals that were closely related to elephants. Two genera are known, ''Afrochoerodon'' and ''Choerolophodon''. Taxonomy Although usually classified as part of Gomphotheriidae, recent ...
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 ''Gnathabelodon'' is an extinct genus of gomphothere Gomphotheres are any members of the diverse, extinct taxonomic family Gomphotheriidae. Gomphotheres were elephant-like proboscideans, but do not belong to the family Elephantidae. They were ...
'' 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 ''Anancus'' is an extinct genus of elephantoid proboscideans (" gomphothere" ''sensu lato'') native to Afro-Eurasia, that lived from the Tortonian stage of the late Miocene until the genus' extinction during the early Pleistocene, roughly from ...
Hay, 1922 *******†'' Anancus'' Aymard, 1855 *******†'' Morrillia'' Osborn, 1924 *******†''
Paratetralophodon Paratetralophodon is an extinct genus of proboscidean from late Neogene deposits in India and China. Although traditionally classified in the family Gomphotheriidae, recent studies find it to be more closely related to modern elephants. ''Para ...
'' Tassy, 1983 *******†'' Pediolophodon'' Lambert, 2007 *******†'' Tetralophodon'' Falconer, 1857 ******† Stegodontidae Osborn, 1918 *******†'' Stegolophodon'' Schlesinger, 1917 *******†'' Stegodon'' Falconer, 1857 ****** Elephantidae Gray, 1821 *******†
Stegotetrabelodontinae 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 ...
Aguirre, 1969 ********†''
Stegodibelodon ''Stegodibelodon'' is an extinct genus of elephant or gomphothere from the Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist ...
'' Coppens, 1972 ********†'' Stegotetrabelodon'' Petrocchi, 1941 ********†''
Selenotherium ''Selenetherium'' is an extinct genus of elephantid.H. T. Mackaye, M. Brunet, and P. Tassy. 2005. ''Selenetherium kolleensis'' nov. gen. nov. sp.: un nouveau Proboscidea (Mammalia) dans le Pliocène tchadien. ''Geobios'' 38(6):765-777 Reference ...
'' Mackaye, Brunet & Tassy, 2005 ******* Elephantinae Gray, 1821 ********†'' Primelephas'' Maglio, 1970 ********'' Loxodonta'' Anonymous, 1827 ********†'' Palaeoloxodon'' Matsumoto, 1924 ********†'' Mammuthus'' Brookes, 1828 ********'' Elephas'' Linnaeus, 1758


References


Bibliography

* * {{Authority control Mammal orders Selandian first appearances Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger Extant Selandian first appearances