Apus fossil map
Where fossils of Apus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 0 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 0 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 | 5.333 million years ago to the present (Zanclean to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Apodidae |
| Named by | Scopoli 1777 |
| Fossil records | 21 occurrences at 14 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Greece, Italy, Hungary, Madagascar, Yemen, Russia, Spain, Japan, France |
| Rock formations | txn:39423 |
About Apus
The bird genus Apus comprise some of the Old World members of the family Apodidae, commonly known as swifts.
They are among the fastest birds in the world. They resemble swallows, to which they are not closely related, but have shorter tails and sickle-shaped wings. Swifts spend most of their life aloft and have very short legs, which they mostly use to cling to surfaces.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Apus (bird) (revision 1379877925), 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: Q310465.
