Anoplotherium fossil map
Where fossils of Anoplotherium have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 30 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 30 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 | 37.71–27.3 million years ago (Priabonian to Rupelian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Anoplotheriidae |
| Named by | Cuvier 1804 |
| Fossil records | 70 occurrences at 25 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Portugal |
| Rock formations | txn:57550, Bembridge Limestone, Headon Hill, Lower Hamstead Beds, Coja, Bouldnor |
About Anoplotherium
Anoplotherium is the type genus of the extinct Palaeogene artiodactyl family Anoplotheriidae, which was endemic to Western Europe. It lived from the Late Eocene to the earliest Oligocene. It was the fifth fossil mammal genus to be described with official taxonomic authority, with a history extending back to 1804 when its fossils from Montmartre in Paris, France were first described by the French naturalist Georges Cuvier. Discoveries of incomplete skeletons of A. commune in 1807 led Cuvier to thoroughly describe unusual features for which there are no modern analogues. His drawn skeletal and muscle reconstructions of A. commune in 1812 were amongst the first instances of anatomical reconstructions based on fossil evidence. Cuvier's contributions to palaeontology based on his works on the genus were revolutionary for the field, not only proving the developing ideas of extinction and ecological succession but also paving the way for subfields such as palaeoneurology. Today, there are four known species.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Anoplotherium (revision 1379817506), 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: Q138945.
