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African Elephants

African elephants are the species of elephants in the genus Loxodonta (Greek for 'oblique-sided tooth'), 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. An anonymous author romanized the spelling to Loxodonta and the ICZN recognizes this as the proper authority.

 

Fossil Loxodonta have only been found in Africa, where they developed in the middle Pliocene.

 

American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY.

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Uploaded on May 27, 2010
Taken on June 28, 2008