Aquila fossil map
Where fossils of Aquila 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 | 20.45 million years ago to the present (Burdigalian to Holocene) |
| Periods | Neogene, Quaternary |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Named by | Linnaeus 1758 |
| Fossil records | 73 occurrences at 50 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Egypt, Mexico, Ukraine, Indonesia, Madagascar … |
| Rock formations | txn:39323, Gabal Silsila, Xiacaowan, Shuler, Gila Conglomerate, Bermont |
About Aquila
Aquila is the genus of true eagles. The genus name is Latin for "eagle", possibly derived from aquilus, "dark in colour". It is often united with the sea eagles, buteos, and other more heavyset Accipitridae, but more recently they appear to be less distinct from the slenderer accipitrine hawks than previously believed. Eagles are not a natural group but denote essentially any bird of prey large enough to hunt sizeable (about 50 cm long or more overall) vertebrate prey.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Aquila (bird) (revision 1379926086), 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: Q30085.
