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Glite Dictionary
Elephantidae

Elephantidae

8.0
A family of large animals that includes elephants and their extinct relatives like mammoths and mastodons
  • noun
  • /ˌɛlɪˈfæn.tɪ.deɪ/
  • Specialized
: Elephantidae
  • Biologists classify African and Asian elephants within the family Elephantidae.

Examples

  • Fossil evidence shows that Elephantidae once included many now-extinct species.

  • The Elephantidae are distinguished by their large size and distinctive trunk.

  • The Elephantidae family includes modern elephants and their ancient relatives.

  • Did you know that the Elephantidae family once included mammoths?

  • Mammoths and elephants belong to the Elephantidae family, which includes their extinct relatives.

  • The Elephantidae family is known for its large size and long trunks among its living members.

  • Scientists study the Elephantidae family to learn about the evolution of these magnificent creatures.

Surface Forms

Elephantidae singular
Elephantidae plural

Morphology

Elephantidae = elephant (semi-transparent) = elephant + idae

Formed from 'elephant' plus the specialized taxonomic suffix '-idae'; the relation to 'elephant' is clear but the suffix is technical and not general English knowledge.

Etymology

Elephantidae comes from the old Greek word elephas, which means 'elephant', plus the ending -idae used to name a family of related animals. So Elephantidae is the family that includes elephants and their extinct relatives.