Afrophoca fossil map
Where fossils of Afrophoca have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 15 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 15 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 | 20.45–13.82 million years ago (Burdigalian to Langhian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Phocidae |
| Named by | Koretsky and Domning 2014 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 1 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Libya |
| Rock formations | Marada |
About Afrophoca
Afrophoca was thought to be an extinct genus of earless seal from Miocene-age marine deposits in Libya. However, it has been demonstrated by Pickford & Muizon, 2024, that the type and only known specimen is from a medium-sized anthracothere, Afromeryx zelteni Pickford, 1991.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Afrophoca (revision 1345024339), 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: Q21344958.
