Elephas
Asian Elephant
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: Elephas Linnaeus, 1758
Species
†E. antiquus †E. beyeri †E. celebensis †E. cypriotes †E. ekorensis †E. falconeri †E. iolensis †E. mnaidriensis †E. namadicus †E. planifrons †E. platycephalus †E. recki E. maximus

Elephas is one of two surviving genera in the order of elephants, Proboscidea.

The genus has one surviving species, the Asian elephant (E. maximus), but several extinct species have been identified as belonging to the genus, including E. recki, E. antiquus, and the dwarf elephants E. falconeri and E. cypriotes. The genus is very closely related to the mammoth genus Mammuthus.

Taxonomy

• Subtribe Elephantina or Supergenus Elephadon
  • Genus Elephas (Eurasian elephants)
    • Species Elephas maximus (Asian elephant)
      • Subspecies Elephas maximus indicus (Indian Elephant)
      • Subspecies Elephas maximus maximus (Sri Lankan Elephant)
      • Subspecies Elephas maximus sumatrensis (Sumatran Elephant)
      • Subspecies Elephas maximus borneensis (Borneo Elephant or Asian Pygmy Elephant)
      • Subspecies Elephas maximus rubridens (Chinese Elephant) †
      • Subspecies Elephas maximus asurus (Syrian Elephant) †
    • Species Elephas beyeri †
    • Species Elephas celebensis †
    • Species Elephas iolensis †
    • Species Elephas planifrons †
    • Species Elephas platycephalus †
    • Species Elephas recki †
      • Subspecies Elephas recki atavus †
      • Subspecies Elephas recki brumpti †
      • Subspecies Elephas recki ileretensis †
      • Subspecies Elephas recki illertensis †
      • Subspecies Elephas recki recki †
      • Subspecies Elephas recki shungurensis †
    • Subgenus Palaeoloxodon †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) creticus †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) creutzburgi †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) chaniensis †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) cypriotes †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) ekorensis †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) falconeri †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) mnaidriensis †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) melitensis †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) namadicus †
      • Species Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) naumanni †

References

• Bate, D.M.A. 1904. Further note on the remains of Elephas cypriotes from a cave-deposit in Cyprus, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B, 197:347-360. Lister,A.M. 1995.
• 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. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3. 
• Todd, N. E. 2001. African Elephas recki: Time, space and taxonomy, In: Cavarretta, G., P. Gioia, M. Mussi, and M. R. Palombo. The World of Elephants, Proceedings of the 1st International Congress, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Rome, Italy. Online pdf
• Todd, N. E. 2005. Reanalysis of African Elephas recki: Implications for time, space and taxonomy, Quaternary International 126-128:65-72.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Elephas". Image Credit.

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