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The Elephantidae are a taxonomic family, collectively elephants and mammoths. These are terrestrial large mammals with a trunk and tusks. Most genera and species in the family are extinct. Only two genera, ''Loxodonta'' (African elephants) and ''Elephas'' (Asiatic elephants), are living. The family was first described by John Edward Gray in 1821, and later assigned to taxonomic ranks within the order Proboscidea. Elephantidae have also been revised by various authors to include or exclude other extinct proboscidean genera. ==Classification== The family diverged from a common ancestor of the Mammutidae, which includes species termed as mastodons. The classification of proboscideans is unstable and has been frequently revised. The following cladogram shows the placement of the genus ''Mammuthus'' among other proboscideans, based on hyoid characteristics: |label2=Elephantina |2= }} }} }} }} The systematics of the living subspecies and species, the modern elephants, has undergone several revisions. A list of extant Elephantidae, excluding the extinct species of the two genera, includes: :Elephantidae ::''Elephas'' (Asiatic) :::''E. maximus'' Asian elephant ::::''E. m. maximus'' Sri Lankan elephant ::::''E. m. borneensis'' Borneo elephant ::::''E. m. indicus'' Indian elephant ::::''E. m. sumatranus'' Sumatran elephant ::''Loxodonta'' (African) :::''L. africana'' African bush elephant ::: ''L. cyclotis'' African forest elephant Scientific classification of Elephantidae taxa embraces an extensive record of fossil specimens, over millions of years, some of which existed until the end of the last ice age. Some species were extirpated more recently. The discovery of new specimens and proposed cladistics have resulted in systematic revisions of the family and related proboscideans. Elephantidae are classified informally as the elephant family, or in a paleobiological context as elephants and mammoths. The common name elephant primarily refers to the living taxa, the modern elephants, but may also refer to a variety of extinct species, both within this family and in others (see Elephant (disambiguation)). Other members of Elephantidae, especially members of ''Mammuthus'', are referred to by the common name mammoth. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Elephantidae」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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