Archaeopotamus fossil map
Where fossils of Archaeopotamus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 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 5 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 | 11.63–2.58 million years ago (Tortonian to Piacenzian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Hippopotamidae |
| Named by | Boisserie 2005 |
| Fossil records | 50 occurrences at 13 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Tanzania, Kenya, Chad, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia |
| Rock formations | Wembere-Manonga, Nawata and Nachukui, Nawata, Nawata or Nachukui, txn:42479, Baynunah |
About Archaeopotamus
Archaeopotamus is an extinct genus of Hippopotamidae that lived between 7.5 and 2.58 million years ago in Africa and the Middle East. The genus was described in 2005 to encompass species of hippos that were previously grouped in Hexaprotodon.
The genus name Archaeopotamus comes from Ancient Greek ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos), meaning "ancient", and ποταμός (potamós), meaning "river", and thus, "the ancient of the river". Of all identified hippos, only Kenyapotamus is older. Kenyapotamus, however, is only known from partial fossils; Archaeopotamus is the oldest well-identified hippo.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Archaeopotamus (revision 1372101181), 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: Q4785522.
