Alforjas fossil map
Where fossils of Alforjas 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 | 23.04–4.7 million years ago (Aquitanian to Zanclean) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Camelidae |
| Named by | Harrison 1979 |
| Fossil records | 58 occurrences at 28 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Mexico |
| Rock formations | txn:42513, Ash Hollow, Rancho Viejo Beds, Ogallala, Popotosa, Chalk Hills |
About Alforjas
Alforjas is an extinct genus of camelid, endemic to North America. They lived during the Late Miocene 10.3—5.3 mya existing for approximately 5 million years.
Alforjas is Spanish for the saddle bags used on domestic llamas. The name has a regional association with the meaning of humps or lumps. Alforjas differs from Pleiolama, Hemiauchenia, Palaeolama, and Lama in its greater height of crown, larger size, and longer snout.
The range of the Alforjas include the Mexican states of Zacatecas and Guanajauto, and the U.S. states of Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Alforjas (revision 1336723767), 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: Q581207.
