Apatemys fossil map
Where fossils of Apatemys have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 45 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 45 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 | 56–31.8 million years ago (Ypresian to Rupelian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Apatemyidae |
| Named by | Marsh 1872 |
| Fossil records | 218 occurrences at 50 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, France, Canada, Belgium, Portugal, United Kingdom |
| Rock formations | Bridger, Willwood, Wasatch, Wind River, Lignites de Soissonais, Friars |
About Apatemys
Apatemys is a member of the family Apatemyidae, an extinct group of small and insectivorous placental mammals that lived in the Paleogene of North America, India, and Europe. While the number of genera and species is less agreed upon, it has been determined that two apatemyid genera, Apatemys and Sinclairella, existed sequentially during the Eocene in North America. The genus Apatemys, living as far back as 50.3 million years ago (mya), existed through part of the Wasatchian and persisted through the Duchesnean, and Sinclairella followed, existing from the Duchesnean through the Arikareean. Examinations of specimens belonging to the genus Apatemys suggest adaptations characteristic of arboreal mammals.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Apatemys (revision 1338488358), 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: Q23011605.
