Proboscidea

Proboscidea; Fossil range: 56–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Late Paleocene – Recent
	; African Bush Elephant, Loxodonta africana
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia;
Phylum:	Chordata;
Class:	Mammalia;
Infraclass:	Eutheria;
Superorder:	Afrotheria;
Order:	Proboscidea; Illiger, 1811
Groups
	†Jozaria; †Anthracobunidae; †Moeritheriidae; Euproboscidea †Numidotheriidae †Barytheriidae †Deinotheriidae Elephantiformes †Palaeomastodontidae †Hemimastodontidae Euelephantoidea †Choerolophodontidae †Amebelodontidae †Gnathabelodontidae †Gomphotheriidae Elephantidae †Mammutidae †Stegodontidae

For the plant genus, see Proboscidea (genus).

Proboscidea is an order containing only one family of living animals, Elephantidae, the elephants, with three living species (African Bush Elephant, African Forest Elephant, and Asian Elephant).^[1]

During the period of the last ice age there were more, now extinct species, including the genus of elephants Mammuthus (mammoths) and the elephant-like species the mastodons. Further back in time, in the late Tertiary, there were many more different types, including the "shovel tuskers" like Platybelodon and Amebelodon. The earliest known proboscidean is Phosphatherium dating from paleocene deposits of Morocco. From the Eocene, several very primitive proboscideans are known, including the African Numidotherium, Barytherium, Moeritherium and the Anthracobunidae from the Indian subcontinent.

[edit] References

^ Shoshani, Jeheskel (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 90-91. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.