Proboscidea

Proboscidea
African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Proboscidea Illiger, 1811
Families
Elephantidae †Gomphotheriidae †Mammutidae †Stegodontidae †Barytheriidae †Deinotheriidae †Moeritheriidae †Numidotheriidae †Palaeomastodontidae †Phiomiidae

Proboscideans are a group of large land mammals. They are characterized by a muscular hand-like nose (the trunk), large ears, and ivory tusks. Elephants first evolved about 50 mya from the a large group of unspecialized mammals called Condylarths. The elephants were closely related to the rhinoceros-looking Arsinoitherium but had more specialized teeth, but elephants were only very distantly related to the elephant-like Notoungulate Astrapotheres and Pyrotheres of South America.  Elephants have lived on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

Common Members

Common members include Amebelodon, American Mastodon, Anancus, Archaeobelodon, Archidiskodon, Barytherium, Choerolophodon, Columbian Mammoth, Cuvieronius, Deinotherium, Dwarf Sicilian Elephant, Eritherium, Gnathabelodon, Gomphotherium, Haplomastodon, Kikinda Mammoth, Moeritherium, Palaeoloxodon, Paleomastodon, Pediolophodon, Phanagoroloxodon, Phiomia, Phosphatherium, Platybelodon, Primelephas, Prodeinotherium, Rhynchotherium, Sinomastodon, Stegodon, Stegomastodon, Stegotetrabelodon, Tetralophodon, the Bush Elephant, the Forest Elephant, the Asian Elephant, and the Woolly Mammoth.

Gallery

Proboscidean family tree at the La Brea Tar Pits.