Loxodonta fossil map
Where fossils of Loxodonta have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 23.04 million years ago to the present (Aquitanian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Elephantidae |
| Named by | Anonymous 1827 |
| Fossil records | 298 occurrences at 117 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda, Malawi, Sudan, Chad, Morocco, DR Congo … |
| Rock formations | txn:43263, Vogel River Series, Hadar, Koobi Fora, Nkondo, Nachukui |
About Loxodonta
African elephants are members of the genus Loxodonta comprising two living elephant species, the African bush elephant (L. africana) and the smaller African forest elephant (L. cyclotis). Both are social herbivores with grey skin. However, they differ in the size and colour of their tusks as well as the shape and size of their ears and skulls.
Both species are at risk of extinction according to the IUCN Red List; as of 2021, the bush elephant is considered endangered while the forest elephant is considered critically endangered. They are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, along with poaching for the illegal ivory trade in several range countries.
Loxodonta is one of two extant genera in the family Elephantidae. The name refers to the lozenge-shaped enamel of their molar teeth. Fossil remains of Loxodonta species have been found in Africa, spanning from the Late Miocene (from around 7–6 million years ago) onwards.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article African elephant (revision 1372949285), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q185038.
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