Proboscidea

Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain |  Eukaryota
Kingdom |  Animalia
Subkingdom |  Bilateria
Phylum Information
Phylum |  Chordata
Sub-phylum |  Vertebrata
Infraphylum |  Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass |  Tetrapoda
Class |  Mammalia
Sub-class |  Theria
Infra-class |  Eutheria
Order Information
Order |  Proboscidea
Population statistics

Proboscidea is an order of mammals distinguished by an elongated facial trunk, of which three species of elephant are the only living examples. The order was proposed in 1811 by German entomologist and zoologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (1775 – 1813).

## Contents

* 1 Description
* 1.1 Living species
* 2 Taxonomy
* 3 References

## Description[edit]

Proboscidea include the largest land animals alive today, as well as possibly the largest land mammals of all time. Of living species the largest African elephant (Loxodonta aficana) ever recorded (the Fenykovi elephant, now in the Smithsonian Institution) was shot in Angola in 1955; it weighed about 10.7 tonnes (12 U.S. tons) and stood 13 feet, 2 inches at the shoulder.[1][2] The slightly-smaller Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) had a maximum recorded height of 11 feet 9 inches and eight tons in one individual recorded in 1985. Extinct species were even larger; at least two species - Mammut borsoni and Palaeoloxodon namadicus \- had a body mass exceeding in size the largest known land mammal (Indricotherium) as well as some sauropod dinosaurs.[3][4]

Apart from their massive size their most striking features are a long trunk, or proboscis, a flexible nose strong enough to lift heavy objects, and at least as is known in living elephants these trunks contain 150,000 individual muscles. Their skin is up to 1.5 inches thick and gray in color, with the skin of African bush elephants more heavily wrinkled than their Asian counterparts; many extinct species, particularly the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) had extensive body hair. All species possess ivory tusks, with several species bearing tusks in both the upper and lower laws. To support the weight of the tusks - which can be 11 feet or more in length - probscideans have a very large head bearing a number of air-filled cavities which not only reduce the weight of the entire skull, but also allow for an enormous increase in the volume of the skull surface, allowing the attachment of large neck muscles and enabling these animals to bear the weight of, and effectively use, the ever-growing tusks.

### Living species[edit]

The only living species are found in the family Elephantidae, and belong to the genera Loxodonta and Elephas.

* Loxodonta africana, African savannah, or bush elephant
* Loxodonta cyclotis, African forest elephant
* Elephas maximus, Asian elephant

## Taxonomy[edit]

* Order Proboscidea

* Suborder Plesielephantiformes

Eritherium
Daouitherium
Arcanotherium
Family Phosphatheriidae

Phosphatherium

* Superfamily Moeritherioidea

Family Moeritheriidae

Moeritherium

* Superfamily Barytherioidea

Family Numidotheriidae

Numidotherium
Family Barytheriidae

Barytherium
Omanitherium

* Superfamily Deinotherioidea

Family Deinotheriidae

Subfamily Chilgatheriinae

Chilgatherium
Subfamily Deinotheriinae

Deinotherium

* Suborder Elephantiformes

Hemimastodon
Eritreum
Family Palaeomastodontidae

Palaeomastodon
Family Phiomiidae

Phiomia

* Suborder Elephantimorpha

* Superfamily Mammutoidea

Family Mammutidae

Losodokodon
Eozygodon
Zygolophodon
Mastodon

* Clade Elephantida
* Superfamily Gomphoterioidea

Family Gomphotheriidae

Pediolophodon
Subfamily Choerolophodontinae

Choerolophodon
Afrochoerodon
Subfamily Amebelodontinae

Progomphotherium
Archaeobelodon
Afromastodon
Protanancus
Serbelodon
Amebelodon
Konobelodon
Torynobelodon
Eurybelodon
Platybelodon
Aphanobelodon
Subfamily Gomphotheriinae

Gomphotherium
Serridentinus
Subfamily Rhynchotheriinae

Eubelodon
Rhynchotherium
Stegomastodon
Cuvieronius
Haplomastodon
Notiomastodon
Gnathabelodon
Subfamily Sinomastodontinae

Sinomastodon

* Superfamily Elephantoidea

Tetralophodon
Anancus
Paratetralophodon
Family Stegodontidae

Stegolophodon
Stegodon
Selenotherium
Family Elephantidae

* Superfamily Stegotetrabelodontinae

Stegotetrabelodon
Stegodibelodon
Subfamily Elephantinae

Primelephas
Loxodonta
Stegoloxodon
Palaeoloxodon
Elephas
Mammuthus

## References[edit]

1. ↑ http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/thisday/march.htm
2. ↑ http://www.cardcow.com/151863/african-bush-elephant-animals-elephants/
3. ↑ http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app61/app001362014.pdf
4. ↑ http://mentalfloss.com/article/66361/ancient-elephant-may-have-been-biggest-land-mammal-ever