Arcius fossil map
Where fossils of Arcius have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 56 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 56 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 | 56–48.07 million years ago (Ypresian) |
| Periods | Paleogene |
| Family | Paromomyidae |
| Named by | Godinot 1984 |
| Fossil records | 50 occurrences at 18 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | France, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom |
| Rock formations | txn:40312, Lignites de Soissonais, Vaugirard, Silveirinha, Calcaire de Ventenac, Corca |
About Arcius
Arcius (named after the Arc Valley in France) is an extinct genus of plesiadapiform mammal that lived in Europe during the early Eocene. Seven named species have been assigned to it since the genus was established in 1984, and their fossils have been found in France, Portugal, Spain and the UK. Most of these fossils are isolated teeth, though jaw bones of this animal have also been found. Members of this genus varied greatly in size, with the largest species estimated to have a body mass of 156 to 327 g (5.5 to 11.5 oz), whereas the smallest would only have weighed 60 to 130 g (2.1 to 4.6 oz).
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Arcius (revision 1377196767), 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: Q11906407.
