Anchitherium fossil map
Where fossils of Anchitherium 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 | 27.3–2.58 million years ago (Chattian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene |
| Family | Equidae |
| Named by | von Meyer 1844 |
| Fossil records | 176 occurrences at 80 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, United States, Spain, China, Germany, Switzerland, Panama, Serbia, Poland, Austria … |
| Rock formations | txn:42984, Torreya, Cucaracha, Oakville, Runningwater, Batesland |
About Anchitherium
Anchitherium (meaning near beast) is a genus of extinct equid with a three-toed hoof.
Anchitherium was a browsing (leaf eating) horse that originated in the early Miocene of North America, being found as far south as Panama, and subsequently dispersed to Europe and Asia, where it gave rise to the larger bodied genus Sinohippus. It was around 60 centimetres (24 in; 6 hands) high at the shoulder, and probably represented a side-branch of horse evolution that left no modern descendants.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Anchitherium (revision 1369924918), 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: Q542119.
