Anhinga fossil map
Where fossils of Anhinga 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 | Prehistoric birds |
|---|---|
| Lived | 27.3 million years ago to the present (Chattian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Paleogene, Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Anhingidae |
| Named by | Brisson 1760 |
| Fossil records | 44 occurrences at 35 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Brazil, Australia, Chad, Kenya, Mexico, Argentina, Ethiopia, Greece, DR Congo … |
| Rock formations | txn:39685, Solimoes, Alachua, Adu Asa, Allingham, Nawata |
About Anhinga
The darters, anhingas, or snakebirds are mainly tropical waterbirds in the family Anhingidae, which contains a single genus, Anhinga. There are four living species found in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia. The term snakebird is usually used without any additions to signify whichever of the completely allopatric species occurs in any one region. It refers to their long thin neck, which has a snake-like appearance when they swim with their bodies submerged, or when mated pairs twist it during their bonding displays. "Darter" is used with a geographical term when referring to particular species. It alludes to their manner of procuring food, as they impale fishes with their thin, pointed beak. The American darter (A. anhinga) is more commonly known as the anhinga. It is sometimes called water turkey in the Southern United States; though the anhinga is quite unrelated to the wild turkey, they are both large, blackish birds with long, fanlike, pale-tipped dark tails.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Darter (revision 1354727332), 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: Q13168473.
