Which mammal is the only living member of the genus Elephas?

The Asian elephant is the only living member of the genus Elephas.

Its scientific name is Elephas maximus. The genus also contains several extinct elephant species known from fossils, but the Asian elephant is its sole surviving species. The other living elephant genus is Loxodonta, which contains the African bush elephant and African forest elephant.

Elephas has a long evolutionary history. The genus originated in Africa and later spread into Asia; fossil species show that it once had a wider distribution and greater diversity. Genetic studies indicate that Asian elephants are more closely related to mammoths than to African elephants, despite their geographic proximity to Africa’s living species.

The Asian elephant is commonly confused with the African bush elephant because both are simply called elephants. Asian elephants generally have smaller, more rounded ears, a convex or level back, and a trunk with one finger-like tip. Three widely recognized subspecies are the Sri Lankan, Indian, and Sumatran elephants.