Apterodon fossil map
Where fossils of Apterodon 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 | 41.03–23.04 million years ago (Bartonian to Chattian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Hyainailouridae |
| Named by | Fischer 1880 |
| Fossil records | 44 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Egypt, Libya, Germany, Kenya, France |
| Rock formations | txn:347511, Jebel Qatrani, Lokone Sandstone, Alzey, Qasr el Sagha, Bohlen |
About Apterodon
Apterodon ("without winged tooth") is an extinct genus of hyaenodonts from extinct subfamily Apterodontinae within paraphyletic family Hyainailouridae, that lived from the late Eocene to the early Oligocene epoch in Africa and Europe. Including supplementary materials It is closely related to the African Quasiapterodon.
Uniquely among hyaenodonts, species of Apterodon were semiaquatic, fossorial mammals. They possessed strong forelimbs that were well equipped for digging, compared to those of modern badgers, while the tail, torso and hindlimbs show adaptations similar to those of other aquatic mammals like otters and pinnipeds. The dentition was suited to feed on hard-shelled invertebrate prey, such as crustaceans and shellfish. They probably lived along African coastlines.
Dental analysis found that within Apterodon macrognathus, the dental eruption of secondary dentition occurred much more slowly than in carnivorans.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Apterodon (revision 1324540621), 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: Q16829800.
