"Elephantidae"
"Elephantidae"
2020
Phylogenetic tree of the three extant elephant species
African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)
Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
In popular knowledge, elephants are commonly separated into two kinds, African and Asian (that is, when a distinction is made at all). In actuality, there are three very distinct, very different, very unique species of elephant alive today:
-The African Bush Elephant (Loxodonta africana)
-The African Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis)
-The Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
The two species of African Elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian Elephants are from Woolly Mammoths. The African Forest Elephant is actually more closely related to the extinct, massive Straight-tusked Elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) than it is to its contemporary African cousin.
All three elephant species are endangered.
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its-theeaqueen17-stuff liked this · 8 months ago
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