Loxodonta adaurora
Encyclopedia
Loxodonta adaurora is an extinct species of elephant
in the Loxodonta
genus, that of the African elephants. Fossil
s of Loxodonta adaurora have only been found in Africa
, where they developed in the Pliocene
. It is presumed to be the genetic antecedent of the two modern African elephant species.
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
in the Loxodonta
Loxodonta
African elephants are the species of elephants in the genus Loxodonta , one of the two existing genera in Elephantidae. Although it is commonly believed that the genus was named by Georges Cuvier in 1825, Cuvier spelled it Loxodonte...
genus, that of the African elephants. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of Loxodonta adaurora have only been found in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, where they developed in the Pliocene
Pliocene
The Pliocene Epoch is the period in the geologic timescale that extends from 5.332 million to 2.588 million years before present. It is the second and youngest epoch of the Neogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Pliocene follows the Miocene Epoch and is followed by the Pleistocene Epoch...
. It is presumed to be the genetic antecedent of the two modern African elephant species.