Elephas

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Distinguish from Elaphus (disambiguation).
Elephas
Asian Elephant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus: Elephas
Linnaeus, 1758
Species
  • see text
Synonyms

Hypselephas

Elephas is one of two surviving genera in the family of elephants, Proboscidea with one surviving species, the Asian elephant Elephas maximus.[1]

Several extinct species have been identified as belonging to the genus, including Elephas recki, Elephas antiquus, and the dwarf elephants E. falconeri and E. cypriotes. The genus is very closely related to the mammoth genus Mammuthus.[2]

Taxonomy

Elephas is assigned to the proboscidean family Elephantidae and comprises one living and 10 extinct species:[3]

  • Elephas maximus (Asian elephant);[1]
    • Elephas maximus indicus (Indian elephant)
    • Elephas maximus maximus (Sri Lankan elephant)
    • Elephas maximus sumatranus (Sumatran elephant)
    • Elephas maximus borneensis (Borneo elephant) — proposed but not yet recognized as valid;[4]
    • Elephas maximus rubridens (Chinese elephant) †
    • Elephas maximus asurus (Syrian elephant) †
  • Elephas beyeri † — described from fossil remains found in 1911 in Luzon, Philippines by von Königswald;[5]
  • Elephas celebensis, Sulawesi dwarf elephant † — described from southern Celebes by Hooijer in 1949;[6]
  • Elephas ekorensis — described from the Kubi Algi Formation, Turkana, Kenya;[3]
  • Elephas falconeri † — described from fossil remains found in Malta by Busk in 1867;[7]
  • Elephas hysudricus † — described from fossil remains found in the Siwalik hills by Falconer and Cautley, 1845;[8]
  • Elephas hysudrindicus † — is a fossil elephant of the Pleistocene of Java and different from Elephas maximus;[9]
  • Elephas iolensis †
  • Elephas planifrons †
  • Elephas platycephalus †
  • Elephas recki †;[10][11]
    • Elephas recki atavus †
    • Elephas recki brumpti †
    • Elephas recki ileretensis †
    • Elephas recki illertensis †
    • Elephas recki recki †
    • Elephas recki shungurensis †

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Shoshani, J. (2005). "Order Proboscidea". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494. 
  2. ↑ Fleischer, R. C.; Perry, E. A.; Muralidharan, K.; Stevens, E. E.; Wemmer, C. M. (2001). Phylogeography of the Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) based on mitochondrial DNA. Evolution 55(9): 1882–1892
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Maglio, V.J. (1973). Origin and evolution of the Elephantidae. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society Philadelphia Volume 63. American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia. Pp. 149
  4. ↑ Fernando, P., Vidya, T.N.C., Payne, J., Stuewe, M., Davison, G., et al. (2003). DNA Analysis Indicates That Asian Elephants Are Native to Borneo and Are Therefore a High Priority for Conservation. PLoS Biol 1 (1): e6
  5. ↑ Von Königswald, G. H. R. (1956). Fossil mammals from the Philippines. National Research Council of the Philippines, Manila
  6. ↑ Hooijer, D.A. (1949). Pleistocene Vertebrates from Celebes. IV. - Archidiskodon celebensis nov spec.. Zoologische Mededelingen Museum Leiden, 30 (14): 205–226.
  7. ↑ Busk, G. (1867). Description of the remains of three extinct species of elephant, collected by Capt. Spratt, C.B.R.N., in the ossiferous cavern of Zebbug, in the island of Malta. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 6: 227–306.
  8. ↑ Falconer, H. Cautley, P. T. (1846). Fauna Antiqua Sivalensis, Being the Fossil Zoology of the Sewalik Hills. Smith, Elder & Company, London. Pp. 64.
  9. ↑ Hooijer, D. A. (1955). Fossil Proboscidea from the Malay Archipelago and the Punjab. Zoologische Verhandelingen, 28 (1): 1–146.
  10. ↑ Todd, N. E. (2001). African Elephas recki: Time, space and taxonomy. In: Cavarretta, G., Gioia, P., Mussi, M. and M. R. Palombo. The World of Elephants, Proceedings of the 1st International Congress. Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, pp. 693–697.
  11. ↑ Todd, N. E. (2005). Reanalysis of African Elephas recki: Implications for time, space and taxonomy. Quaternary International Volumes 126–128: 65–72.
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